Hidden Secrets
by Chris Gammon
Summary: Nack is back. But he finds more than he barganed for when he goes back for Rex. {FINAL CHAPTER!}
1. Hidden Secrets

Nack the Weasel stood in the lunch line behind the other inmates. Most of them had him running scared. It was bad enough to be a bounty hunter in a jail, but worse when half of the inmates are the ones you put away to begin with!  
  
"So what are you in for?" a burly African-American asked folding his arms across his broad chest. Nack knew this guy. Wanted on drug dealing. Nack got him life, but he never expected to be his roomie.  
  
"I sort of killed Armadillo Rex, I think." Nack replied hanging his head.  
  
"Whho boy! I knew you were tough, but taking someone like Rex out? That's just plain crazy! Everyone knows Rex can't die!"  
  
Nack's ears perked up. "What did you say?" he asked in a nervous tone.  
  
"Yeah, Rex can't die. He's got some sort of super small robots crawling inside him, healing his wounds. He's invincible!"  
  
Nack dealt with some wild cards before. Idiots in tights trying to play superhero but killing the wrong person, disgruntled postal workers with nasty firepower, even Robotnik was normal compared to this. What was he hearing? Immortality? Could it be true? After some of his weirder cases, he was willing to believe anything.  
  
The big guy threw his trash away and left back to his cell. Nack stared over the food-like substance in front of him. First Sonic hiring him to take Rex out, now Rex is immortal. Why would his hardest case send him on an even harder case? Nack was beginning to understand why Sonic hired him. Sonic was afraid too. Sonic knew of Rex's inhuman capabilities, so sent Nack to kill him since he was still stalking him anyway. Like Rex said, what better plot.  
  
Nack lie awake in his cell that night. When everyone was asleep, he made a break for it. He managed to escape from this place, and try at round 2 against Rex. Bounty hunters never give up, do they? Now with the police hot on his tail, he hoped that he would at least catch Rex and endear himself to the police. That way they would take Rex instead of him.  
  
He found Rex exactly where he left him. He drew his Magnum from his holster. He knew if a Magnum shot to the brain couldn't keep this guy down, a stun gun would be worthless.  
  
"I heard that you were locked away for 'killing' me." Rex smiled. That insane grin of his spread across his face.  
  
"Shut up! I want to know why you became this way. You were such a good kid in collage." Nack ordered.  
  
"Well I was never right after high school. Ask Sonic, he'll tell you what he did to me." Rex said slyly.  
  
Rex's tail extended to an impossible length and shined like metal. It swung with a tremendous force that ripped the desk in half. Nack was even more frightened than before. Immortality was one thing, being a cyborg was completely different.  
  
"Want to know who gave me the hook up with Robotnik's little empire? Who put me on the Doc's good list and enabled me to take over to what this is now? Well I'll tell ya Nackie-Boy! It was none other than your DEAR OLD DAD!!!!!"  
  
Nack staggered backwards and dropped his gun.  
  
"N-no!" he said faintly. "It can't be…" he couldn't believe it. Nack's own father giving Rex a job with Robotnik. In a way, dad was responsible for how Rex got all this power in the first place.  
  
"Yes! It is all true, your dad was Robotnik's job recruiter! I got this power from his connections. I guess double dealing runs in the blood line." And with that, Rex bolted out the window, landing perfectly and painlessly on the sidewalk nine stories below.  
  
Nack lie awake that night. He couldn't sleep. The biggest criminal since Robotnik, and it was all because of daddy. "Why, dad?" Nack asked to the stars out of the motel window. "Look what you've created." 


	2. Uncovered Truths

Special Thanks to Lucky Ladybug! In return for her nice review, I used one of her characters! Hope you all like it!  
  
  
  
Nack sat at the bar. He looked over his shoulder occasionally to see if any officers were looking for him. Tunneling out of jail was an old way of escaping. Nack didn't care since he hoped to find Rex and stop him…it…whatever Rex is. He wasn't exactly a robot, but wasn't exactly human either. But the one thing that kept coming to mind, was Dad. Why would Dad do this? It could be one of several reasons. Dad could've left him and Nic for Robotnik to become a recruiter. Looking for poor saps that were down on their luck or lost their job, and offering them "lifetime" workmanship with Robotnik. But they would be forever robots to work for free. Maybe Dad just recruited someone more mentally disturbed than he thought, and was sorry for it later. Or was there more than that? Was Dad also a bounty hunter, hiding it form Nack and Nic, and that's why he left because he couldn't balance them with his job? It would explain his absence, and why Nack and Nic made that career choice. But why hide it? Maybe he was hired to take out Robotnik by some mysterious person. Robotnik was more powerful than he thought, so decided to hire some help from someone, namely Rex, to undermine Robotnik's operations and destroy them from the inside. But again, he wasn't aware of Rex's mental stability, and, after Robotnik crossed Rex's line too many times, soon took control of everything to where he is now. Nack knew Rex from collage. He had to get by on what he had when Dad left, but Rex always chipped in to help. He knew what it was like to have no family left. But the cyber attachments, and his immortality where definitely new. He threw back another shot of whiskey. It hit the spot in these times. He wondered if Dad was still alive, maybe he could ask him why he left, why he was with Robotnik, and why he recruited Rex and created the ultimate villain by accident. But he had a thought in the back of his mind. Maybe Dad was taken out during Rex's rise to power. But Nack refused to believe Dad was dead. He wondered if he should tell his sister. How would she take it?  
  
Melindy, the head waitress, walked up and saw his downcast expression. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him close. "Hello big boy. How was your day?" she asked scratching the soft fur behind his ear.  
  
"Not to good. I'm after a total lunatic, psychotic madman with cyber attachments and robots in his blood. Then I escaped from jail to try to kill him *AGAIN* mind you, then to top it off, my dad is responsible for this guy's rise to power." Nack said not looking up at her.  
  
"Well, you've had stranger." She replied blowing into Nack's ear, making it twitch.  
  
"Don't do that now. I'm not in the mood." Nack said in kind of a depressed tone.  
  
"I think I saw your dad here years ago. He used to come here, just like you, and drink the same whiskey. You're like your old man in every way." she purred massaging Nack's shoulders.  
  
"Except creating the ultimate villain." Nack said in an uneasy tone.  
  
He was learning more about his father than he thought. He didn't ever think that Rex would ever bring up his father in the subject.  
  
FLASH BACK IN TIME  
  
Elsewhere, long ago, when Robotnik's takeover was 7 years old. A weasel stood in the shadows. Hiding him from sight. The only thing was the light gleaming off his long fang. It was trademark in his bloodline.  
  
"Hey you! Boy!" he yelled in a heavy southern Texas accent.  
  
A grieving armadillo in a trench coat stopped in his tracks. He looked about seventeen.  
  
"Yes?" the armadillo asked.  
  
"You want a job with the big boss man?" the shadowed weasel asked in his southern tone.  
  
Rex thought over all the things that made him go mad. "Sure! Rex is my name!"  
  
The armadillo and the mysterious weasel shook hands. The weasel totally unaware of what he just did. 


	3. A New Mystery

FLASH FORWARD TO TODAY:  
  
Rex stood on the balcony of one of the many factory buildings. He watched over the city as the sun set, revealing just what comes out at night. All the interesting things start to happen. Screams echo in the night as the Patrollers captured poor souls who wandered their way into one of his operations. He smiled as he heard the screams of agony and the shots of the guns, it was like music.  
  
Nack heard them as well. But to him, it was more of a funeral march. "I just got to find Dad, and the only way is to try to get Rex to talk. But that in itself will be a difficult task." Nack sighed. He crept into the now dark city, avoiding the ever present Patrollers. They were all sorts of people and Mobians in camouflage gear and night vision goggles. Their job was to keep the city clean of trespassers and traitors within the compound.  
  
He made it to where Rex was. "HEY PSHYCO!" Nack called up to Rex, still on the balcony.  
  
"Oh. It's you again. Come on up, I want to talk to you about something." Rex said gesturing with his hand.  
  
"Is this a trick?" Nack asked, already wry of what Rex can do.  
  
"If it's about your father, would you chance it?" Rex asked. He didn't sound like his normal insane self anymore. But instead, a changed man.  
  
Nack ran up the stairs to Rex's office. One of many to be exact.  
  
"Sit down Nackie-Boy. I want to show you something." Rex motioned to a chair in front of the desk he was at.  
  
Nack sat down, keeping his senses sharp to look out for any tricks.  
  
"I was going through some old files of Robotnik's down in the basement. I came across one particular file that should be of interest to you.  
  
He slid a manila folder that seemed crammed full of paper and photos over to Nack. Nack looked at it, then saw the name of his father in red letters. He stared in disbelief at it, trying to keep the lump in his throat down. Would this answer all of Nack's questions? Or would it just raise more? He just had to find out. He looked up to see Rex gone. Vanished without a trace over the balcony and landing as always. What had Rex become? And why would he give this info to Nack anyways? Is there something he wants him to know? Or is this all a mind game?  
  
Just then, two Patrollers came in, handed him his file, and escorted him off the premises. The alarms were armed now. No way of going back in to get more. Nack was tired after that whiskey. He made the mistake of drinking too much for his first time. But he needed it then to ease the shock. He vowed to never drink again, and wandered off to the motel on the outskirts of town. As he walked off with the folder tucked under his arm, he failed to notice Rex standing just near the edge of the perimeter, that wicked smile coming back.  
  
Nack walked in to the front door of the motel. He got his key from Jack the desk clerk. He was a fat man who was always sweaty. He was short. Not midget short, just short.  
  
"So Nack? Howz da biz commin' for ya? Any new jokers ta catch?" Jack asked in a Brooklyn accent.  
  
"Just one so far. I'm just gonna have to clear my schedule to take out this guy. He's worth more than everyone else anyways." Nack said, mustering up a smile, his fang shining in the dim light.  
  
"How much iz dis guy worth ta youz?" Jack asked leaning on his elbow on the desk.  
  
Nack leaned in close, eyes dating around to make sure no one else was around. He placed his hand at the side of his mouth and whispered into Jack's ear.  
  
"One million Smakers! That ain't bad dough!" Jack said as he slapped Nack on the shoulder. "You have a good night, you hear my boy?!" Jack called after Nack as he headed toward the elevator.  
  
"Thanks Jack. You have a good night too." And the elevator doors closed.  
  
Nack hummed along with the cheesy music inside. The bell sounded his floor and he got off.  
  
"Not bad for a motel." Nack commented to himself as he looked at the elevator, listing to it's decent.  
  
Inside his room, he got undressed and crawled into bed. That file would just have to wait until morning. But now that whiskey was making him sleepy….ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ………  
  
And Nack drifted off to sleep. Unaware of the strange happenings down stairs. A green armadillo, with a powerfully strong robotic right arm, had Jack up by the collar of his shirt.  
  
"You tell that weasel I ain't doing him any more favors. I ain't going to risk getting caught. I gave him just enough info to keep him occupied until my project is completed. So just tell him! Okay?" the armadillo asked bringing his sharp metal tail up to Jack's throat.  
  
"You got it, I tell im' what chu said. Forgeddaboudit."  
  
And with that, the armadillo dropped Jack to the floor and walked out.  
  
  
  
FLASH BACK IN TIME:  
  
"Robotnik, I want you to meet William Rex Armadillo. He says he wants to work for you." The mysterious weasel said to Robotnik in his Texas drawl.  
  
"Ahh, a rookie eh? Well I'll see if he's worth keeping around. If not, it's too the Roboticzer with him."  
  
Robotnik and the weasel shared a hearty laugh, as Rex was in his first step into insanity. Rex smiled a twisted, insane grin. One that never left since. He was gonna like it here indeed! 


	4. The Letter

FLASH FORWARD TO TODAY:  
  
Nack woke up the next morning. His head hurting from his hangover. He got out of bed, put one of the motel's robes on, and went downstairs. Jack always made a good breakfast for everyone in the motel. But this morning, it was only Jack and Nack. Nack stopped by the wall of mailboxes, found his, and took out all the paper inside. "Junk mail, catalogs, Bounty Hunter Weekly." (which just happened to have Rex on the front page) Nack threw the mail back into his room, but kept the newsletter. He remembered to put slippers on, being that the floor was cold anyways. He got off the elevator, leafing through the newsletter. "Maybe if I read up on Rex, I can be prepared for any new tricks he may pull." He said to himself.  
  
He walked into the dining room of the motel. It looked pretty fancy, five-star like for a motel. But then again, nothing phased Nack anymore, not after the last two nights. He sat at the table which already had the food at it.  
  
"I figured with everyone else gone, I'd just cook what was left. Help yourself to Jack's Breakfast Buffet!" he said like an announcer would. Nack shook his head and laughed.  
  
"You always know how to be a kidder!" Nack said still smiling. But Jack stopped laughing. Nack noticed Jack's eyes fixed on the newsletter he had.  
  
"What is it Jack?" Nack asked cocking his head.  
  
"That guy on your paper. He was here last night."  
  
Nack almost choked on his coffee "What?!"  
  
"Yeah, he said he wasn't gonna help youz anymore ona count he don't wanta get caught." Jack said. "Somethin about a project, and throwin' you offa hiz trail."  
  
"I knew it. That file was a setup, probably full of junk. That bastard." Nack got up and left. Suddenly he wasn't hungry anymore.  
  
"That bastard son of a…. I'll teach him to mess with my emotions. I am so gonna kick his…"  
  
Nack stopped. As he sat on the edge of his bed to put his boots on, he noticed an envelope among the mail. An envelope that was different from the rest. Nack finished getting dressed, then took the envelope. It was from Nic! What could she possibly want?  
  
He read the letter and was surprised at what it said.  
  
Dear, Nack  
  
I got a strange phone call tonight. Some guy said he told you about our father. What he said, I couldn't believe. So I'm going to come over there and help you out. I know we don't always get along, but this Rex guy is bigger than the both of us. So I think it's best if we put our differences aside, and help each other out. Besides, if we can see daddy again, that would be great!  
  
By the time you get this, I will already be halfway there. Let's take this sucker down and get Dad back!  
  
Sincerely, With Love,  
  
Nic  
  
  
  
"Well, at least I won't be alone with Rex anymore. That guy is starting to freak me out." Nack commented, and put the letter on the table beside the bed. He saw the file with Dad's name on it.  
  
"Maybe I should wait until Nic gets here. She has a right to know about Dad too."  
  
Nack turned off the lights, locked the door, and tossed the key to Jack as he ran out the door.  
  
"That kid, always on the go." Jack shook his head as he hung up the key with the others.  
  
  
  
"All is going according to plan. I'm just gona forget my project for now. I'm having too much fun with this! Now who should I call to get that meddlesome bounty hunter out of my way?" Rex flipped through his Rolodex. "Yes, of course! What better way to get rid of a bounty hunter, than with another bounty hunter? I'll hire the most experienced one to take out Nackie-Boy, then pay him more if he finishes off Sonic as well! Two great prices in one day! I LOVE IT!"  
  
Rex found the one he was looking for. "Bingo!" He picked up the phone and started dialing.  
  
"Hello? Remember when you said you owed me? Well here's your chance to repay that debt!" 


	5. The Arrivals

Nack sat on the midtown bus to the airport. Nic was flying all the way from Nevada where she had taken down some weapon smugglers. Seems they were using the old mine shafts to smuggle the weapons in secret. Setting up some sort of trading post that Guns and Ammo would be proud of. All the way, just to help him. Is that love or what?  
  
Nack was in Manhattan, where Rexco was located. The massive city/factory was an unmistakable sight. The police could've arrested Rex several times. Maybe even more. But where too afraid of what he could do. Nack was afraid as well, but if he could get the police off his tail, he could get Rex for them and for Sonic. Two payments weren't bad, after all.  
  
Nack wiped away the fog his breath made. He hated cold weather, and January in Manhattan was just cold enough to make him hate winter even more. He wiped away the fog again, and pressed his face to the window when he spotted a car. Was it cops? He was right. Nack swallowed hard as the bus pulled over.  
  
  
  
"Crap. Crap, crap, crap, crap, crapity, crap!" Nack mumbled as he made his way off the bus. He had to think fast to get away. He just couldn't get caught now. No way!  
  
Nack held his breath as the officers walked past the lineup of people along the side of the bus. Thank God! No one here knew him! They were rookies! Nack let out a relieved sigh and laughed at his twist of luck. What're the odds? The officers gave him a suspicious look as if he were guilty. Nack quickly regained composure. Eying the officer that was eyeing him. Looking him up and down.  
  
"You got a license to carry that firearm sir?" the officer asked pointing at his gun.  
  
"Yes I do!" Nack said, he pulled his wallet out of a pouch on his belt. He showed the officer the permit and his I.D.  
  
Not the best picture in the world, mind you, but it was just enough to keep him in the safe zone.  
  
The officer nodded and walked back to his cruiser. What a jarhead. Nack couldn't help but snicker at that thought. He got back on the bus, but lost his seat to a young couple. He shrugged and slumped down in his new seat. He propped his feet up on the back of the seat in front of him, pulled his hat over his eyes, and started to drift off.  
  
The sound of a roaring engine startled everyone on the bus, the driver swerved to avoid the oncoming vehicle. Nack looked out the window and saw a blue Dodge Viper speed by. His excellent eyesight took a mental picture before it vanished off in the distance. "What an asshole!" Ncak heard the driver shout. Everyone else was shaken, but all right.  
  
  
  
Nack finally arrived at the airport. The loud noise of landing engines was almost deafening. People bustling about doing their thing. Nack scoured the area and noticed his sister in the distance, wearing that red bandana around her neck, and her favorite red skirt. She had on a lime green tank top and her patrolman hat. Her gun belt was on, but her gun was hidden in her boot. Airport security was ultra tough after September 11, but bounty hunters knew how to be sneaky.  
  
Nack ran up to Nic. "Hey, how was your flight?"  
  
"The usual, paranoid security. Where's your gun?"  
  
"Had to leave it at the checkpoint, they know we in this profession need it."  
  
"Mine's in my secret compartment, never thought I had to get my shoes checked!"  
  
"Well, I was shaken up, had a near accident on my way here, a blue Viper nearly cut us off." Nack said looking over at the parking lot. For some strange reason, he just had the urge to. He found out why. There was that blue Viper, the same one!  
  
"Come here, I'll show you." Nack said signaling her to follow him.  
  
This was Nack's first close up of that car. It matched the one perfectly. In every detail! But it was the company insignia that sent a chill up his spine. Rexco!  
  
"Uh, let's get out of here fast!" Nack said, hurrying Nic along to the bus.  
  
"But why?" She asked.  
  
"Because, it isn't safe here anymore, let's just get my gun, and leave quietly." Nack said, shoving harder now.  
  
"NO! Damnit bro! This is why we don't get along! You never tell me shit!" Nic put her foot down.  
  
"Okay! God! Jeeze! Rex is here! See this car? It belongs to him, now let's go before he…."  
  
"Finds you?" a voice said from behind.  
  
"Oh crap!" Nack said. He looked over his right shoulder, to see Rex standing there.  
  
"If you'd excuse me, I must go." And with that, Rex gently picked up the two with his tail, placed them out of his way, and got in his car. He revved up the back wheels, creating smoke, and the smell of burning rubber. Then he sped off as fast as he could, like he was running. But from what?  
  
"Nack the Weasel? You're coming with us!" an approaching airport officer said as he signaled him to come here.  
  
"Damn….."  
  
"Now, I suppose you're wondering why you're here," a man in a uniform and sunglasses said as he rested his chin in his hands. He loved doing this. It always made the guilty catch themselves.  
  
"Nope, I haven't a clue." Nack said calmly.  
  
"Well, apparently, you didn't check your gun properly." The officer said, kind of disappointed that he didn't have nothing big on him. "You can go."  
  
Nic was at the door. "What was that all about?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, just my gun. I was worried because they might've known I had escaped from jail." Nack whispered into her ear.  
  
"Oh!" Nic said with wide eyes.  
  
"I got a file on Dad, let's check it out. It's back at the motel."  
  
Nic nodded in agreement.  
  
"Okay, now you know the assignment?" Rex asked his new passenger. He got off the same plane as Nic. But he was surprised to notice, that she didn't recognize her.  
  
"Yep, kill the brats, then the hedgehog, sounds easy enough for an experienced hunter like me!" the passenger said in a southern Texas drawl.  
  
The two shared a hearty laugh as the drove off toward Rexco. 


	6. Identity Revealed

Nack and Nic entered the motel. Jack walked up and greeted the newcomer.  
  
"You must be Nack's sister Nic! I heard a lot about youz. He sayz your one of da best in da biz! Next to him of course!" Jack said as he shook Nic's hand.  
  
"Well, Nack isn't as good as he says, but he's all right. We both know that there is more experienced ones out there, that we can't even compare to. Ones who get their job and life inseparable. Ones who……."  
  
"C'mon Nic! Enough with your philosophy!" Nack shouted from the elevator. Nic smiled, and walked toward the elevator, shaking her head. Nack just couldn't accept that there were people better than him.  
  
In Nack's motel room, Nack showed his sister around at where all the locations are. He cleared the junk off of the desk, and sat down. He kicked off his boots, while Nic was showering from her long trip. Women and their cleanliness. Nack had a lot worse than jet lag. Way worse. And who he was up against now, was the king granddaddy of them all. Nack looked at the name on the file again, and had the same reaction as before. He took off his hat and belt, then stretched. He wanted to sleep. He had a rough day with the bus and all.  
  
Nic came in wearing only a long blue silk nightgown and underwear. She wanted to sleep too. She dried her hair, put it back in a braid, and sat next to Nack, who was sleeping on the desk.  
  
"Hey! We can sleep after we read the file. I want to know what it says about Dad!" Nic said, nudging her brother playfully.  
  
"Okay, okay." Nack grumbled. He opened the file.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: WHAT YOU WILL READ NOW IS THE FILE:  
  
Dawson Weasel. He was born in Arizona Texas in 1947. He eventually married at 33 years of age on November 26, 1980. His wife was Mary Weasel who died in a car accident on March 17, 1989 She left behind an eight year old son, and daughter. [a newspaper clipping of her obituary is paper clipped to this document.] [A picture of Nack and Nic taken in 2001 when they were 19, after successfully capturing a child killer is also there as reference as to what they look like now.]  
  
Dawson was a full time bounty hunter and since he couldn't balance kids with his job, left them in a foster home, where no one adopted them. A.N.- (Nothing in here will be mentioned about Nack and Nic and what they will eventually do, as Robotnik didn't update his file much. Here's a timeline to explain a bit of what happened through the years he missed to chronicle.)  
  
1941:  
  
Dawson McCallon born in Arizona, Texas  
  
1944:  
  
Mary Weasel born in Huston, Texas  
  
1970:  
  
Armadillo Rex is born in Houston, Texas  
  
1974:  
  
Dawson, at age 33, weds Mary at age 30, they move to Mary's home in Huston where Mary and Rex's mom become friends.  
  
1975:  
  
Niccolett McCallon Weasel and Fang McCallon Weasel are born, Rex is 5  
  
1978:  
  
Sonic the Hedgehog is born, Rex is 8 years old, becomes good friends with Nack and Nic who are 5 years old.  
  
1983:  
  
Mary dies in a horrible car crash, and Nack and Nic taken in by their rich Aunt Velma at 8 years of age. Rex is 13 years old. Warlord Julian Kintobor of the House of Ivo begins his takeover of Mobotropolis. Rex's dad is arrested and never seen again. After the funeral, Rex and mom moved to Manhattan. Mom is captured by Robotnik and is never seen again. Rex slowly drifts into insanity.  
  
1985:  
  
Rex is 15 years old. Rex meets a 7 year old Sonic whose parents suffered the same fate as his mom. They befriend each other.  
  
1987:  
  
Dawson, now 46, meets with Robotnik who has ruled for 4 years now. own at the time.  
  
1988:  
  
Sonic, now 10, drops out of school and joins his other friends for the Freedom Fighters to stop Robotnik's rule of tyranny. Rex says he's going to help by using technology.  
  
1992:  
  
Rex, now 22, is torn apart by rash of project failures and haunted by a tiny robot he keeps building in his mechanics classes. Sonic at age 14, destroyed Rex's soul.  
  
Months later, after high school, Rex was recruited by Dawson, now 50, to work for Robotnik, he continued education in collage. He met Nack and Nic again, now. He learned of how Velma was taking care of them since Dawson never returned home. Rex helped them whenever they needed it.  
  
1993:  
  
Nack and Nic turn 18 and go their separate ways. Each becomes a bounty hunter, unaware the other has.  
  
1995:  
  
Rex, now 25, loses arm, legs, and tail in explosion. Rebuilds limbs with cybernetic implants and injects experimental Nanotechnology into his blood and remaining muscle tissue. Now immortal, and immune to pain, he starts going even more insane. He drops out of school and strives to take over Robotnik's place to exact his rage on the one who made him lose his sanity, Sonic! Soon, Robotnik is killed by project Doomsday. Robo Robotnik takes over a few months later, Rex gets on Eggman's good side. Nack and Nic see each other again and share their adventures.  
  
1997:  
  
Robo Robotnik fails with Chaos and Shadow, Rex takes him out  
  
1998:  
  
Rex makes his dream come true. E-9000 is finally built. Dark Sonic created accidentally later on.  
  
2002:  
  
Now Rex, at 32 (he doesn't act like it, and he looks 25 because of the nanotechnology. He's basically 25 no matter how old he gets. He froze the aging process when he did it.) ,has been in total control for 5 years now  
  
End Of File:  
  
Nack and Nic looked blurry eyed at the photo of Mary, holding two baby weasels. Dawson standing proudly by.  
  
"Lets go to bed. I learned all I need to know." Nic said yawning. Nack and Nic were forced to share the bed. The way Nack hogged the covers, and the way Nic kept putting her cold feet into Nack's back to get the blankets back, it was a wonder how they ever got to sleep.  
  
"Well, let's see here. You want $1 million to take out Nack and Nic?! Why such an extreme amount?" Rex asked the weasel looking up from the bill he was handed. The weasel showed his age. 53 years old, but still a quick as any old geezer. He had a patch over his eye, obviously from an unruly bounty. Rex remembered stabbing a few eyes out when he was taken down. He was a dark purple, almost black in color with white in the appropriate places. He had a long fang over his bottom lip and scruffy fur, almost like stubble, under his chin. He had a potbelly that wore a belt with a large buckle that held "Old Reliable" his Smith and Wesson. He had it since he first got into the business. He wore a dusty, beaten up, Stetson hat, and a black, sleeveless jacket in which he had his handcuffs, and his "whipping chain" that he used to tie up someone who just wouldn't stay down. His biker like gloves and black, scuffed up biker boots, finished his tough guy ensemble. He was a tough old southern bird, who always followed every rule in the book to the letter. His battered body, whiskey smelling breath, and his cigar that he clutched in his teeth, showed that he was the type who didn't screw around.  
  
"They are worth every penny. And besides, it includes Sonic as well. You know the hedgehog?" the weasel said in a southern Texas drawl. "And it would be great for Nic and Nack to see their dear old dad again!"  
  
"You said it DAWSON!!!" Rex said, and they both laughed even more than before.  
  
LET THE HUNT BEGIN!!  
  
Surprised? I thought you would be! 


	7. The Plan

Nack wouldn't believe that his own dad was hired to take him out, by the one villain he was hired to take out. It made since in a twisted sort of way. As insane as Rex was now, anything was possible. Nack sat at the table in just a shirt that he wore to sleep in. Nic was there in her nightshirt at the table as well. They were the only ones there again, so why wear a robe? Jack came in with three plates full of bacon eggs and sausage. They sat and ate, and talked.  
  
Rex stood outside. He watched the three laugh it up amongst the smells of breakfast, Jack's aftershave, and the fresh coat of nail polish on Nic's toenails. A twisted smile came over him again. He would have Dawson kill them where they lie! However, Dawson always liked the "thrill of the hunt" and yammers on about how it was why he got into the "biz" and all that crap. Rex was the impatient sort. The quicker they were killed, the better off he would be. He wanted someone he hated gone before he knew them. That way he wouldn't feel bad in his non-existent conscience. Not that he cared anyway. They were dead, and that was that.  
  
He walked off shaking his head as he heard more laughing. Bunch of bastards. Rex laughed at that thought of them being massacred in their own bed. What fun it would be to see them writhe in their own pain! Rex always thought like that.  
  
"C'mon Nic, you already put nine coats of nail polish on, why more?" Nack complained. The smell made his head hurt.  
  
Nic was sitting on the bed, knees to her chest, painting her toenails again. "Don't worry. When I put my shoes on, you won't smell it anymore." she said with her fanged smile. She loved annoying her brother with the simple things. Like nail polish, tapping her fingers or feet, or just breathing too hard, drove Nack nuts. His senses were heightened for his job, but were sensitive to the smallest things. All of which drove poor Nackie nuts! Nic laughed as Nack shook his head. He was just a spoiled sport, that's all.  
  
They got dressed, and left out to find Rex. He seemed to be everywhere, and never stay in one place. You think someone as powerful as Rex wouldn't be afraid of getting caught. But he obviously doesn't want to kill anyone. Kill anyone by force anyway. Rex preferred to kill someone when he wanted to, not when invoked to do so.  
  
"Okay Dawson, here's the plan." Rex said as he sipped his Coke. They were at a fancy restaurant talking over the low down. "You get to chase them as long as you want. That way, if you catch them, you get half of your money. Then Sonic will be the other half. That way, you can enjoy your 'hunt' if you will, and the longer you screw around, the longer it is until you get paid."  
  
Dawson looked up from his southern fried chicken. He smiled his fang toothed smile and laughed heartily.  
  
"You sure know how to drive a hard bargain Rex. But I'll do it! I know where they are headed first. I'll start my fun there." he said with a mouthful.  
  
"Whatever. Just kill them some time this century." Rex remarked. 


	8. The First Encounter With Irony

"Well, my old partner. It's time you did the job." Rex said as he patted Dawson's shoulder. "Just do it quickly, or no money."  
  
"I'll do it when I'm ready. I like the thrill of the hunt. Why I remember when…………"  
  
Oh God, not this guys psychotic ramblings again. And I thought I was crazy, this guy is just won't shut up. Rex thought to himself.  
  
"and that's why I enjoy the hunt." Dawson finished.  
  
"Good. Now kill them already!" There was that impatience again. He can't help but hurry everything along. He walked away from the restaurant shaking his head.  
  
Nack and Nic were down at one of Rex's abandoned factories. They figured this was a good of place as any to start. If they wanted to find Rex that is. As for not getting their butts kicked, that remained to be seen.  
  
"What are going to find here?" Nic asked picking up some dudty items on an old desk.  
  
"Maybe if we find out Rex's project, we will know where to find him." Nack said looking at a burned out wall. He really didn't like it here. The smell, the creepy surroundings, and god knows what lurking in the shadows. The water dripping from old pipes made him jump every time because of what ever could be hiding. Patrollers occasionally wandered through, but they were easy to avoid. The swinging lights made the shadows move and create an even more creepy effect.  
  
"Here's something Nack." Nic said as she waved a dusty file in the air. The two opened it revealing schematics for some sort of machine.  
  
"Why would Rex hide new plans in an old building?" Nic asked looking over at Nack who seemed lost in thought as he looked them over.  
  
"To throw us off. It's the last place we'd look." Nack closed the file quickly and spun around on his heel. Nic wondered what his problem was. He was never this serious, always cracking jokes, not this.  
  
  
  
Dawson walked to the door of the broken down factory. He smiled a fanged toothed grin. His gun ready for a fight. His trigger finger itching and raring to go.  
  
"What was that?" Nic asked jumping up. She brushed her bangs out of her face as she peered into the darkness.  
  
"Just a Patroller probably. Take care of it while I look around some more. I may have a lead."  
  
Nic nodded and walked off, her gun ready just in case. She climbed to the top of a pile of old crates to get a better view. A shadow caught her eye. She lept off and onto the strangers shoulders. After a brief struggle, Nic was flung across the room, into a nearby wall. Before everything faded to black, she saw the shadow's face.  
  
"dad…?" she asked wearily, then fell unconscious.  
  
"Nic? Nic, you okay?" Nack asked, his voice echoing through the building.  
  
"Hello SON!" a voice said from behind. Nack spun around immediately and saw Dawson.  
  
"Dad?" Nack asked in disbelief.  
  
"It's been along time son." Dawson said pointing his gun at Nack, ready to fire.  
  
Nack couldn't believe it.  
  
"Why dad? Why?" he asked stuttering.  
  
Dawson smiled his fangy grin.  
  
"I've got a lot of money riding on your ass. And I'm willing to take it."  
  
"Who hired you?"  
  
"Why, Rex of course. Who else?"  
  
Nack gasped and fell over a desk as he was backing up. The shock just hit him hard.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well duh, to kill you idiot!" and with that, a gunshot rang out in the dark. 


	9. First Fight With Rex

Darkness. That is all that was visible. Nic slowly regained conscious and looked around. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light again, she screamed as she saw Nack lying on the ground in a puddle of blood. She rolled his body over to see that nothing important was wounded, and he was still warm and breathing. Just shock, that was all. No death. That was good. His arm was wounded though. His arm was bleeding badly. She took off her scarf and tied it around the wound. She let Nack rest as she went to explore.  
  
A few minuets later, Nack woke up. He saw his arm and sighed that he wasn't dead. He looked around and figured that Nic went to explore. He decided to do the same. He regained his bearings and lifted himself up. He was weak from the loss of blood, but he knew he would recover when he got moving. Soon he was feeling better as he came to a room. He felt around and was amazed that the lights still worked. He saw old dusty oversized machinery, used for manufacturing some sort of robot. He flipped the switch for the heck of it, and nothing happened. Just as he figured. He snorted as he looked at the crappy machine in front of him. He shook his head and walked off.  
  
Rex walked inside the factory. He wanted to see how the job was going, and judging by the amount of blood on the floor, pretty well. He smiled that twisted smile. His laugh trailed off as he noticed it ended at where Nic was lying. He was still alive?! Oh, well, he likes the "hunt" of the game. Rex found Nack inside another room.  
  
"Hey, Nack! I see you met my bounty hunter!" Rex shouted out to Nack.  
  
"YOU BASTARD!! I'LL KILL YOU!!" Nack yelled in a fit of rage, and leapt at Rex. Not the best move in the world as his face was greeted with a two-foot thick titanium tail. Right across the cheek. Rex laughed as Nack fell to the floor.  
  
"Whattsa Matter? Can't fight me?" Rex asked like a smug asshole.  
  
Nack leapt up again, this time with his gun drawn. He jumped up and dodged Rex's tail. This caught him off guard and allowed Nack an opening. He blasted a hole through the front and out the back of Rex's head. The nearly headless corpse fell to the floor and very little blood came out. Strange, as the size of the wound was large. Most of it was a silvery crystalline substance that slowly seeped back into the wound. To Nack's horror and amazement, Rex stood up. He laughed as the billions of nanobots in his bloodstream and muscles reconstructed his entire head. He pulled out a new hard hat and put it on. Rex looked unscathed, even though Nack blew his entire brain out.  
  
"You fool. Every time I heal, I get stronger. Of course, I could already kick your ass anyway." Rex leapt up into the air and landed in front of a shocked Nack. Rex smirked and raised his right arm. Nack received a backhand across the face and flew into a pile of nearby crates. He got up and pumped Rex full of holes until he was out of bullets. Rex fell to the floor and Nack ran off as fast as he could. A whole clip of Magnum bullets, and Rex was still alive. The military would love this guy. Nack laughed at that thought as he tried to forget the lurking presence of Rex.  
  
"Nic? Nic, where are you?" Nack called out as he walked into a room full of old boxes. Tons of these crates were everywhere, probably used to be full of explosives that Rex used later on. He saw Nic run up to him when he turned around. They hugged for a brief moment, took the folder then began to leave.  
  
"Well, I see you want to die!" Rex shouted from the third floor balcony of the factory. He leapt off and landed in front of the only way out. His right arm stiffened then underwent a transformation that they have never witnessed before. Rex held up his newly changed arm and took aim. It was a high powered laser!  
  
"Aren't I just full of surprises?" Rex smugly remarked as he fired his laser at the siblings. They jumped out of the way and behind a pile of handy crates. They looked up and saw a huge metal object above Rex. It looked like an old jet engine. But why here? Maybe for the giant robots that used to roll out of here a long time ago. Rex would manufacture them here, and Robotnik would use them to his own extent. That explains how Rex knew this place so well. He used to work here to create robots for Robotnik and Robo Robotnik. But since the death of the original Robotnik, Robo hasn't bothered with it much, and so it decayed to it's present state.  
  
Nack looked at his empty gun. He looked to Nic who seemed to read her bro like a book, and nodded. Nic nodded back, took aim and fired. The huge engine plummeted from it's resting spot and landed right on top of Rex. The sound of the heavy metal driving Rex through the floor, made them cringe.  
  
When the noise was over, and the sounds stopped. They made a run for it, unaware of the moving hand under the wreckage.  
  
They made it out side, and caught a cab. They slumped back in the seat with a sigh and watched as the factory disappeared behind the horizon. The driver looked over at them.  
  
"Hey, I read about you two! Nice work you do!" he complimented.  
  
"Just take us home." Nack said rudely. He had a rough day. Already he was beat and it wasn't even 2:30.  
  
"He means thank you, and so do I." Nic said glaring at her rude brother. She was tired too, but it was no reason to be impolite.  
  
"Yo? Rex, ya in here?" Dawson called. He saw the twisted wreckage in the center of the room.  
  
"Great! If your dead, how can I get paid?" he asked, totally unconcerned for Rex's current state.  
  
"I'm not dead you moron! Just go after them, I can take care of myself. It's gonna take the bots a while to repair my body until I'm strong enough to lift this thing off of me. When I repair it takes away from my strength. But when they go back into my muscles and blood, they get stronger from the workout of repairing me." Rex explained.  
  
Dawson didn't care about that scincey crap mumbo jumbo. Just the money. He shook his head and walked out to his battered Ford truck, an F- 350 I think, and pulled an equally battered case of beer from it. He sat a few cans by Rex.  
  
"For your troubles when you get out." He said with a smile. He was always a suck up, which led to a nice tip.  
  
"Whatever! Just get them!" Rex muffled from under the metal.  
  
Rex heard Dawson's truck speed off with a heavy screech. He rolled his eyes and looked at the beer.  
  
"What a kind, caring…..idiot." Rex smirked. He felt his strength returning to his body. It was time.  
  
In an amazing feat, Rex lifted everything in one piece and threw it into a wall. He didn't even break a sweat, or looked tired in any way.  
  
"Now for some real fun!" he said with a twisted grin. He transformed his arm back to normal, and walked outside. Things just got a whole lot worse for our favorite duo! 


	10. It Begins

"Ladies and gentlemen. I give you, life! LIFE!"  
  
Nack flipped off the television. He sat on the bed in his white sleeping shirt and holding a pillow. He sighed and looked at his arm. It was still bandaged, but a lot better. He rubbed his cheek with his bare hand. Still a knot where Rex's metal tail whacked him. He pulled the blanket over his feet and rolled over on his side. He was beat, literally. He looked like he was hit by a truck. His hair was a mess, and his eyes had economy sized bags under them. Not that he was tired, just wore out. You would be too getting your ass kicked by someone like Rex. Better hope that it is someone LIKE him, if it WAS Rex...well, I'd be lucky to walk away alive.  
  
Nic came out of the bathroom brushing her hair. It flowed like lavender waves over her shoulders which were covered by her blue nightshirt. She put it back in a braid and jumped on the bed where Nack lie. Nack mumbled something that Nic should be glad she didn't hear, rolled over on his stomach, and put the pillow over his head. Nic just shook her head and lie back. She turned the lamp out and they both went to sleep.  
  
Meanwhile, Rex was pacing around the old building where he met his "death" so to speak. He picked up one of the beers, chugged it in one gulp, crushed the can into dust with his robotic hand, and blew it away out of his palm.  
  
"How in the hell dose Dawson expect to get paid when he has such crappy aim? I mean, God, I have better aim than that, and I'm insane!" There Rex went talking to himself again.  
  
"He refuses to believe that old age has finally caught up with him. But no matter. When my project is complete, I will have my revenge on all of them. ALL OF THEM, I SAY!" Rex yelled shaking his fist at the images in his twisted mind. Either he really lost it, or he's just mad. Either way, the duo better watch out.  
  
Rex rubbed his chin with the back of his robotic forefinger. He snapped his metal fingers when his brain clicked.  
  
"Of course! All the parts I need for component NO. 1 lie on a place Nack should be familiar with. If Dawson doesn't get him then, his old friends will! It's such irony, I just love it!"  
  
Rex flipped up one of his armadillo like panels on his robot arm and punched in a few numbers. The silence was soon broken by a loud sound of something slicing at the air. A black chopper, bigger than the military use, landed perfectly in the driveway outside the factory.  
  
"NOW IT'S ONWARD, UPWARD, STARWARD, WHATEVER ELSE!" Rex yelled over the loud slicing of the propellers, pointing to the sky like someone signaling Armageddon.  
  
Rex slumped back in the pilots seat and manned the helm. He raised his arms in the air, crossed them Power Ranger style, pressed a button, and took off up into the sky.  
  
Nic was woke up by the sound of a distant helicopter that grew louder as it flew over the building. She glanced over at her brother who was still sawing logs, and hugging the pillow under his chest, resting his chin on the open corner of it. She smiled and ran her bare fingers through Nack's moppy hair. He smiled as he slept away. Nic rolled over to return to the same.  
  
"Zipping through the night sky I go  
  
To kill people to and fro  
  
Going to kill all the way to Thailand  
  
Going to the FOALTING ISLAND!"  
  
Rex's insane song continued as he approached his destination.  
  
He jumped out of the helicopter and sent it on it's way.  
  
"Now it's time for a scavenger hunt that will determine the fate of the entire planet! All I need to do is gather a few things here and there, and I'm all set. PROJECT ANNIHILATION will now begin!" 


	11. The Sandopolis Zone Digsite

The sound of the roaring chopper woke up Knuckles. He pulled his shoes on and walked out of his den. It was close to Echidnapolis and it could have been any noise. But Knuckles had a gut feeling that the black chopper he saw fly over the city was bad news. Why, he didn't know, just a feeling. Little did he know how right he was.  
  
Rex wandered around the perimeter of the Sandopolis Zone. He had his boots off and was kicking the warm sand. Sure, his legs were robotic, but most of his nerves and veins and such were left in tact after the explosion that cost him his limbs. Therefore, he was able to feel like a normal limb would because the necessary nerves and such were still there and acted as if they were still in a normal limb. The circuitry and Nanobots enhanced these nerves to feel through the metal. Therefore, it is like a normal limb. Only metal. Therefore, he can feel the warmth and texture of the sand as if a flesh and blood limb would. Get it? Good.  
  
Rex was looking for something, but what? Suddenly his foot came down on something sharp. Rex looked down and smiled. Pain was the only thing he couldn't feel thanks to the Nanobots, but he felt the poke of the object. He got down on his hands and knees and started digging. Digging like there was no tomorrow. Then he found it, well, part of it anyway. Buried over time, it remained where it fell. It wasn't in the best of shape, but hey, who cared? He had found the remains of the Flying Battery! Why in the world would he want that hunk of now junk anyway?  
  
Knuckles looked through the bushes of the Hidden Oasis. He saw Rex pick up a few unidentifiable objects from the sand.  
  
"Uh-oh. Rex found the remains of the Flying Battery! But he can't do no harm, we destroyed that thing good." Knuckles waved his hand in the direction of Rex as a gesture of passing it off. He really couldn't do any harm with the junk. But as crazy as Rex is, anything is possible.  
  
Rex was playing in the sand, building castles and other architectural wonders, as he dug up more pieces.  
  
"Damn, this got trashed good didn't it? Well it was just from the crash, what I want is probably deeper." Rex sighed and continued digging. His toes sinking in the sand as he got deeper and deeper. Then he realized that there was more strewn about a great distance. So Rex ran over the remains and to the biggest pile of sand and began to dig again.  
  
"It's got to be here somewhere. I just know it. It couldn't have been damaged in the crash." Rex muttered to himself as he dug and dug some more.  
  
Meanwhile, in the hotel, Nack and Nic woke up. Nic always looked like her beautiful self, and Nack looked a lot better than last night. The swelling in his cheek went down, leaving a faint purple burse. The bags were gone and his arm was way better.  
  
They both headed down stairs and sat at the table, still in their pajamas. No one was there but them still, so why look good for invisible people. Jack didn't care if they weren't dressed.  
  
Nack munched some bacon as he looked through the file. This machine appeared to be some sort of flying machine. With a wicked looking laser on the front. He scratched his ankle with the toenails on his other foot as he examined the blueprints closer. Some of these things on here looked familiar. Of course! They did. What he remembered seeing anyway. The propellers looked like they were from the Wing Fortress, the observation deck from the Sky Base, various parts here and there of the Flying Battery! It was all there! Maybe even more he never seen!  
  
"Oh my God..." Nack said, suddenly he felt tired again. He explained to Nic what the pictures held.  
  
"Rex is on a mission of destruction! He wants to gather up all the remains of all the flying fortresses Robotnik and Eggman ever built, and combine them into the fortress to end all fortresses! But what is the laser made of?" Nack scratched his chin.  
  
"FOUND IT!" Rex singed from under a pile of sand. Only his bare feet were visible as he struggled to pull what he found up to the top. All his enhanced strength finally accomplished the task.  
  
Not even breaking a sweat, he was soon sitting in the warm glow of the Flying Battery's reactor core.  
  
"With this nuclear power I can construct the most powerful...  
  
"....laser I've ever seen." said the man in the weapons shop. Nack and Nic looked at each other as the guy examined it closer.  
  
"To build something this powerful, you'll need a heckvua lot of nuclear power to fire this baby up. Not to mention a few other key components. Such as, oh say, some high temperature wire to handle the heat, and some powerful lenses to condense the discharge to a beam form. I'd say that whoever wants this is aiming to destroy the whole planet."  
  
Nack and Nic had to find Rex and stop him, but where could he be?  
  
"We'll stop by my old nook on the Floating Island to get some stuff. I used it as a storehouse since I couldn't live there anymore."  
  
"Why not?" Nic asked puzzled.  
  
"It's a long story. Let's just go." Nack said solemnly as he led her to the door. "Thank you for your help sir." Nack said waving and shoving Nic outside. 


	12. Old Time Fued

"Okay, enough sun tanning. I have to come back here, this place is glorious in the winter." Rex said pulling his boots back on. He summoned his chopper once more and loaded the reactor core onto a special rack that seemed to be put there as a preplan. It wasn't there before. Rex grabbed up a few more things and hoped aboard. Knuckles looked curiously to the sky to see the same chopper fly off hauling a large glowing tube.  
  
"Oh man, is that what I think it is? If it is, I better stop him." Knuckles glided off and up toward the chopper.  
  
"Hey you! You're leaving with some very dangerous contra ban there buddy!" Knuckles said pointing to the core in the rear mounted rack.  
  
Rex looked over his shoulder and back at Knuckles.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry `officer Knuckles', Rex said making quotes in the air. "Is this yourz?" he asked, deliberately ticking Knuckles off.  
  
"Look pal, don't piss me off. Just put it back and you won't get hurt."  
  
"Howz about I keep it or you get hurt?" Rex shot back like a ghetto boy would.  
  
Knuckles was about to go for the reactor, but Rex stopped him. He had opened the door and grabbed Knuckles with his tail. Knuckles struggled for air then Rex threw Knux toward the ground, landing in the pavement some 50ft. below.  
  
Nack and Nic had just arrived and saw Knuckles lying in the street. They looked up to see the chopper with the reactor.  
  
"Is that....that's....the....laser....part." Nack struggled to speak in a whole sentence. Seems Rex was going to find a way, or at least the other components.  
  
"Look at me! I have raw power in my grasp! I accomplished what neither fat man could do! I am the ultimate, and the world is my bitch!" Rex said and slammed the door of the chopper. He flew off at a breakneck speed.  
  
"You...you're not allowed here anymore." Knuckles said gasping.  
  
"I said I was sorry I don't know how many times, man. When will you forgive me?" Nack asked on the brink of tears. Nic put her hand on his shoulder and it calmed him down a bit.  
  
"Sorry don't cut it. What you did, was just wrong." Knuckles said regaining composure. He dusted himself off and cracked his back. "So" he groaned as he bent backwards to realign his vertebrae, "who's the dame?" he asked pointing to Nic  
  
"That `Dame' is my sister." Nack said seeming insulted but trying to hide it. Nic blushed that her brother would stand up for her.  
  
Knuckles smirked. "Is she a backstabber like you are?"  
  
"Depending on what your definition of backstabber is. Is it.... hating someone for shit that the said party took out of context and therefore kicked out the opposing party, I.E. me, because of misconstrued tendencies?"  
  
"Look I know what I herd and what I saw. You are a trader."  
  
"Give me a chance to explain!"  
  
"NO!" Knuckles said stomping his foot. They both crossed their arms and stood back to back, Nic between them.  
  
"Look" Nic said holding up her hands. "if you want to stand here and argue about some crap I don't know, OR CARE, about mind you, go ahead. I'm more worried about a flying nuclear reactor core on it's way to become a weapon of mega death."  
  
The two twitched and turned back to face each other. Both had a stern look. Nack held out his hand.  
  
"Temporary truce?"  
  
Knuckles shook Nack's hand. They nodded to each other then went their separate ways. Nack pulling Nic along with him, as if to protect her. 


	13. The Begining Of The End?

Rex stood at the base of the junk mountain in Rexco's junkyard. Robotnik dumped a lot of good stuff here, and Rex knew that what he wanted was here as well.  
  
Rex looked at the scribbled writing on the slip of paper he had. He had his robotic forefinger to his lips  
  
"Let's see. D-5, D-6, D-7, ah, here we are D-8." Rex muttered to himself. This was where the remains of the Wing Fortress were kept. After Sonic made short work of it, the whole thing was scrapped. It was a crappy piece at first. Now, it's useful. Rex could cannibalize some parts from here, and bastardize the reactor to create the laser. The rest of the work was just going to take a blowtorch and other crap.  
  
"Let's see, high temp wire, that can be obtained from the coolant system for the rocket boosters. Lenses can be from that laser that Sonic destroyed in the cockpit. This is too easy."  
  
Nack and Nic were rummaging around Nack's nook on the Floating Island. Nic looked at Nack, diligently searching for some high powered weapons to take Rex out before he got too far along on his little `project'. She took a deep breath and asked the question.  
  
"So, what happened between you and Knuckles anyway?"  
  
"I don't want to talk about it. It's...it's none of your business." Nack said, trying not to sound rude.  
  
"Oh...okay" she said quietly looking at a big hand gun she held.  
  
Elsewhere in Echidnapolis, someone was enjoying a good lunch.  
  
"Is that all sir?" the female Echidna at the counter asked.  
  
"Yep, I reckon that will be about it fer now. Huntin' works up an appetite." Dawson said leaning his elbow on the counter looking cool.  
  
He went back to his table.  
  
"I know them no good kids of mine are here. Where else would they be? Rex was here so I herd, so's they can't be far behind. And where they are, ah ain't far behind." He said to himself.  
  
"Where there is stuff to build, I ain't far behind." Rex said as he pulled out what looked like a motherboard from that pillar with the eye aboard the Flying Battery. He took all the stuff he gathered and began to combine it, right there in the junk yard.  
  
"With Dawson throwing those brats off my trail, and Knuckles still having his past disputes with Nack, I should be done in no time. Ooh, this is so much fun!"  
  
Apparently this is going to get ugly real quick as Nack seems to have made more enemies than friends. And Rex's project is not far off. Oh the insanity, the humanity, the.....  
  
"Shut up already. Let me finish the project before you start worrying!" 


	14. This Is A Very Good Day! (For Rex anywa...

"So do we have a deal?" Mecha Sonic asked.  
  
"Of course we do!" Nack replied with confidence.  
  
"Don't screw this up or else!" Silver Sonic 2 said, his fly-like eyes glowing green.  
  
"We really like you Nack, we don't want to kill you!" Mecha Knuckles said raising his knives to Nack's chin.  
  
"Of course, we will if you fail!" Robo Sonic said with an evil looking smile.  
  
"We don't have a conscience, so it wouldn't bother us!" Mega Sonic said with a grin.  
  
"And Tails Doll would love to have at you!" Mecha said putting his arm around Nack's shoulders and pointing to the hovering stuffed animal whose zombie like eyes were enough to chill Nack's spine.  
  
"I said I got it covered. You just pay up and don't worry." Nack said in his smug tone.  
  
"The Brotherhood of Metallix will leave their mark upon the world in the name of Dr. Robotnik!" Mega said putting his fist in the air.  
  
Nack snapped back to reality. Knuckles saw it all, but never gave him a chance to explain or even apologize. All he knew was that he was going to fake his way through this job and get at Robotnik, and leave it at that. Collect his pay and be on his way. But what Nack really wound up doing was getting caught up in a plan that would eradicate Knuckles' family, everyone else, and turn the Floating Island into a Metallix kingdom, with the Brotherhood ruling over it. Then they were going to use this power to kill Robotnik and take over his position, Then the world would become a wasteland hell for all who are non-robotic to torment in the metal cities of evil. Each ruled by a different Metallix.  
  
All Nack wanted to do was get at Robotnik, not get caught up in a twisted plot conceived by those demented machines. Now they were under control and helping Rex in return for land of their own. Nack on the other hand, was up against Rex. More insane then any Metallix. Why dose Nack always get the short end of the stick? The Metallix live it up in Rexco, and he gets his ass kicked by the big boss himself.  
  
But then again, reality is never kind to bounty hunters. No one is really. Nack never knew why, they just weren't. He stood at the Sandopolis Zone and looked at all the rubble left behind. He picked up his boots, sighed, and walked off. If only he could have stopped Rex. Now the world is probably going to end and it's all his fault.  
  
Rex flew back over the Floating Island a few hours later. He kicked open the door, cursed up a storm, and slammed it shut. He couldn't believe that he forgot some major elements. He saw Nack's barefoot prints in the sand and thought it some tourist or someone. He grabbed up a few items that weren't hard to find and got back in the chopper.  
  
A few more minuets later, he landed in the Launch Base. This place looked pretty banged up. Knuckles destroying a building, water flooding it, things falling over. It has been abandoned since 1993, when it was last used. A lot of old machines were here, and that means endless possibilities for a mind like Rex's. Some of the machines under the gray and purple checkered floor were ripped up and their craters left behind in Rex's wake, as he scavenged more parts from here and there.  
  
"Hey, parts of the Death Egg were left here. Glad I decided to come!" Rex said with a twisted smile. He was in insane inventors paradise. And all because of a few wires he missed.  
  
Nic was sitting in one of Echidnapolis' hotels. She worried about Nack. He seemed so shy, so melancholy. And whats up with Knuckles. She heard about him from Nack's stories of his past. Before they found each other again. But he sounded nicer than what he was in reality. Was Nack lying, or was there something between them that would just have to get resolved.  
  
Nack was decked out in a soldier uniform with the skull insignia of the Brotherhood of Metallix. He wore a helmet instead of his hat, and black army boots.  
  
"Now all you have to do, is destroy Knuckles and his family. With the Brotherhood of Guardians out of the way, we can sweep in and conquer! Now go our soldier of fortune, and end the rivalry between Brotherhoods!" the Metallix said in what seemed like one voice. Tails Doll pointed the way. His silence was more disturbing than even the most hideous thing the others could come up with on how to kill Knuckles.  
  
Reality snapped back, and hard. Nack looked around at the place where the Brotherhood's citadel once stood. Now a pile of ruin and rubble. The dangerous technology left behind was locked away, guarded by the Echidna Security Team. Rex was bound to strike there next. But when?  
  
"I feel like there's something else here. But what is it?" Rex tapped his robotic forefinger on his lips. Somewhere else that I can find something."  
  
His train of thought was cut off when a high-speed chase tore down one of the rural roads leading to the city. He saw a souped-up hot-rod with a couple of convict Echidnas behind the wheel. One gripping the wheel, and the other shooting like mad. Then Rex saw the EST truck, sirens blaring and lights flashing. Then Rex had a flashback. He remembered that Mecha Sonic and his gang had a citadel here on the island. All of their evil technology was locked away in antiquity and safety for the city-folk. And in the EST precent no-less.  
  
"First Death Egg components, now this golden opportunity, what a day indeed!" Rex smiled at his luck, hopped in his chopper, and flew off toward Echidnapolis. 


	15. A Twisted Journey Into An Equally Twiste...

Pantara's loud song "Screaming From The Sky" was playing as loud as the speakers could handle, as Rex tampered with the death ray in his workshop. He banged his head during the solo, his mind flashing images of what the song described.  
  
"Carpet bombing, lay to waste" and other disturbing things of war and destruction were screamed like they were just words of entertainment. But they were very real, as Rex was about to prove.  
  
He slumped back in his chair and put his hands over his eyes. He had to think of a way to break into the EST precinct. All that juicy stuff of death and chaos, ripe for the picking. At least they would have found a home where Rex was going to put them. A wonderful little place where death will rain from the sky, and those who oppose the authority will be sacrificed by the death ray, to Rex the unforgiving god of the world!  
  
But until he got a hold of all those things, people were going to be…..happy.  
  
Rex cringed at the thought of happiness. He hasn't felt it in so long. Sure, he gained pleasure when he killed someone, but that was just out of boredom. The feeling passed after a day or two, then it was having to kill again. It was like a drug that took others lives instead. Ever since Rex was shattered by Sonic's simple sentence, he hated everyone who judged him for who he was. He was as far over the edge that anyone was allowed to go. Most people kill themselves or get killed before they even have the slightest sign of going over the edge. The few that were, were in pretty padded rooms that kept them safe from themselves and others.  
  
But Rex was defying all reason. Someone so mentally unstable shouldn't even be alive by scientific standards. Someone as injured as Rex was, even with the extensive surgery he performed on himself to replace his limbs, was scientifically impossible. An explosion of that magnitude would kill any normal man. And the Nanotechnology that healed his wounds, was downright science fiction. Or was it? Rex has many ties to the government. Maybe the Nanobots do exist. But medical science would be thrown out the window, and doctors and surgeons, would go bankrupt if no one got sick, ill, or hurt. Mortality rates would shoot through the roof, and over population would destroy the planet as everyone would live forever.  
  
So here Rex was, the personification of all things impossible, ready to destroy the same mankind that said he shouldn't even be alive at all. And not just by scientific reasons, but personal reasons as well. Rex has become more well known than Robotnik or Eggman. He has done what neither ever could, and he's immortal. What more could you ask for in a living nightmare? And the scariest part of all, he's human like you and I. He's the average, normal person walking down the street. He doesn't look crazy at all, until you look in his eyes. Then you realize that it's too late, your dead. Normally, someone that powerful would be imposing like E-9000, or evil looking like Dark Sonic. Or at least wear a hockey mask! Some stereotype that defined the psychopathic killer from the rest of society, something normal.  
  
But as said before, Rex isn't normal. He, and many other "Average Joe' killers out there, sulked the Earth undetected by mankind until it's too late. But Rex was the ultimate of them all. He was the ultimate killer. The "thing that should not be" to quote Metallica. An evil smile crossed Rex's lips as that very song came on at that thought.  
  
"Brimey dark, eternal lie  
  
"Death, decay, destruction, die!  
  
"Fearless wretch, insanity  
  
"He watches, lurking beneath the sea  
  
"Prey on one's, forbidden sight  
  
"He searches, hunter of the shadows is rising  
  
"Immortal  
  
"In madness you dwell!"  
  
"Brimey dark beneath the sea  
  
"Face the thing that should not be!"  
  
That suited Rex well, and he laughed as it continued to play, as if knowing what he was going through. No one could imagine his pain, not even in song. 


	16. New Players Arrive.

"Ready? Aim. FIRE!" Rex shouted at the incompetent worker droids that manned the Death Ray. The laser fired, and fragged the metal target in front of the doom device. Rex was in the testing area. This place is really an abandoned warehouse that has an abundance of junk to destroy or test on. It was about the size of at least four high school gymnasiums. It provided ample room for something the size of the death ray to have room to operate properly without any interference.  
  
Rex walked up to the smoking laser nose. He opened up the front of it to examine inside. He used his left hand to do this. The smell of burning flesh and the warmth of the nose in his hand didn't bother Rex at all. And he wasn't even phased by the pain it should of normally caused. But rex isn't normal as we all know.  
  
Rex peered inside the laser and saw what was creating the smell. A smell worse than Rex's burning flesh. The lenses had melted and the liquefied glass seeped into the workings. It couldn't cool being on a hot surface, so it actually evaporated the liquid glass. This created an awful smell, and delayed getting it online on the count of scraping glass goop out of the insides.  
  
"Damnit! The lenses melted! I need something more sturdy to handle the heat of the beam, something that won't melt. But what?" Rex pondered this, his robotic finger to his lips, his left hand healing itself. The TV showed it's usual round of commercials, then the news report came back on. One that would be very appealing to Rex.  
  
"And in other news today, a Chaos Emerald that was rescued by Sonic the hedgehog later today, will be at a special showing in the Local Art Gallery. Come and see this beautiful gem up close and personal!"  
  
Rex's ear twitched, and that demented smile came across his face once again. It was certainly becoming an even greater day indeed! But someone else saw this report. Someone who also wants the power of the Emerald. Someone whose eyes are the color of the jewel she so much desires to have in her grasp.  
  
Rex wandered out to the parking lot and got into his Viper. He sped off toward the gallery intent of making the showing.  
  
Nack and Nic were walking down the street. The blue Viper sped by and caught them off guard. Nack and Nic knew it was Rex's car, and decided to try to take him out now. Nack fired and blew out the back tire, and Nic shot through the back window and hit Rex in the back of his head. The car swerved and crashed into a lamppost on the corner. The front was totaled and almost beyond repair. Nack and Nic ran off, hoping Rex wouldn't see them and pursue. They knew that he wasn't dead, but stunned enough to stay off of their tails.  
  
"Minion!" the emerald eyed mistress called. An interesting character approached. Something only magic could create. A blue and white fox in what resembled a jester's uniform. Seems that this woman knows who she has to compete with to get the Emerald. Rex was as powerful in technology as she was in magic. It was an equal battle with different abilities. But with her own minion as a spy, she could be one step ahead of this techno madman. Who is this mystery woman? Why she's none other than sorceress extraordinaire Lucrecia! She wanted that Emerald and had been planning to steal it, once and for all! But out of nowhere, just like magic, came this techno nut who wanted the Emerald for even more twisted purposes. She watched as Rex healed his wounds like it was nothing, and actually drive the car in it's battered condition to the repair shop.  
  
"This guy is as insane as I am. Maybe even more. All I want to do is conquer the world and the people who judged me. But he, he wants to annihilate it out of the entire universe!" Lucrecia said in a worried tone. She believed that technology and magic were equal in their own ways, but even she didn't have as much power as the Death Ray.  
  
"Go Minion, and find out what Rex has planned for my Emerald!"  
  
Minion, as he was only known as, nodded and walked off to do his masters bidding.  
  
A figure watched as a severely banged up Viper pulled into his lot. The figure wiped his hands on a greasy rag and went out to greet his newest customer.  
  
"That's a pretty wild drive you must have taken to get that totaled! I think that is gonna cost you a bundle to repair, better have a ton of money on you!" Andre DuBois said in his normally joking manner.  
  
Rex opened the door and stepped out. He flashed that insane smile that made him famous the world over and waved his metal tail in the air, as if ready to attack.  
  
"On second thought…. I could give you a discount." Andre said nervously. He knew that Nack was after this guy, and the stories he heard, well, he didn't want to mess with someone like Rex. Andre looked at Rex like a bomb that is just waiting to go off. And that smile of his shows he wants to be ticked off.  
  
"I would appreciate it gladly!" Rex said with an even more wicked smile that showed his canines. He wanted to kill someone, the urge was just too intense.  
  
Minion watched over his target. He wondered why his master didn't have this influence over people like Rex. All Rex had to do was smile and people immediately listened. His master had to yell and destroy something to get attention. No wonder she was intimidated by this character. He had a stronger influence over people, and he had more power than she could obtain by any means.  
  
He would have to be watched closely. 


	17. Twisted Part 2: The Biggest Secret Of A...

Welcome to my mind. In a way, it is normal. In a way, it is not. I was insane long before Sonic ever hurt me. Long before I lost my limbs. Long before all that. Way before.  
  
I remember back when I was 13 years old. Back in the summer of 1983. Nack and Nic were so cute when they where little. They were 8 years old, and had big dreams. Nack wanted to be a policeman. Nic wanted to show that girls can be tough and do just as good as any guy. She was a tomboy from the start.  
  
I stare at the gray clouds outside the window. The rain starts tapping the glass. In the mists of the thunder, I swear to God I hear laughter. Why dose this laugh hurt me so? It used to be such a fond memory that brought smiles to my face every time I thought of it. Now it pains me, driving ever deeper that thorn in my spine. It hurts me. I can't feel physical pain, but my emotional stability has something to be desired. It is easily bruised, but mine is shredded to bits. I have no emotion now. But I still have memories. Haunting memories every damn I hear that laughter.  
  
I remember back to that day in 1983. I would play with Nack and Nic, while my mom talked with Mary McCallon. She was the mother of Nack and Nic McCallon, and wife of Dawson McCallon.  
  
My mom used to be smacked around by my drunken dad all the time. She had no one to share her torment with, so came to Mary. Mary and her became good friends in the years I was growing up. She was even there when Nack and Nic were born. Nic being a few minuets older than her brother. Mary was like her source of comfort. Since my dad was always out raising all kinds of hell, and their dad was out doing whatever he does, our moms always had time to talk while we played.  
  
Then one day while I was playing with the weasel twins, I saw my dad get arrested because he was in one of his drunken rages, and disturbing the peace.  
  
But that's not why I am insane, far from it. In fact I was never happier. He was finally gone! Gone I say!  
  
So with no one to help us out, Mary took us in. We had such fun, the twins and I. We'd stay up late, and since I was the so called "responsible" one, we'd pretty much do what ever we wanted. Mary and my mom, never got along better. They were as close as I was to the twins. I was like their big brother, just like Mary was our angle in disguise. Our salvation from dad's pain and torment he caused.  
  
Being the recluse I was because of my father, I showed Nack and Nic a few tricks with computers. They were fast learners and showed a real interest. Who would of thought they would soon use it against me?  
  
But that doesn't explain my insanity. No, my fall into oblivion began on the faithful Tuesday in March of 1989.  
  
We were playing football. Nack threw it and I tossed it to Nic. Nic kicked it and it went under the car. A Chevy I think it was. I felt something move as I retrieved the ball, but I didn't pay much attention to it. Little did I know that this little accident would begin my dissent into a string of failed projects and another shattered relationship.  
  
That's my problem, everything I do, every relationship with friends I had, ended in a tragedy. And each horrible end bringing new life to my ever- growing insanity. I couldn't do anything right then, and I still can't now. But now, thanks to my own mistakes, I have eternity to perfect myself, and accomplish my dream.  
  
Aww, look. Nack is so cute hugging his mom goodbye. He's grabbing his lunchbox and headed off to school with Nic. Now she's putting her shoes on…she's getting the keys…NO! NO! DON'T GET IN THE CAR! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! NO!  
  
She was gone. Nack and Nic hugged their mom goodbye for the last time. But I didn't know it at the time. No one did. Now I do.  
  
Latter that night, I came down stairs to get a snack. Mom was crying , then told me about the phone call she got from the Houston hospital. I couldn't believe it. She could've been in any accident. She was the nicest woman in the world, why would God take her away? Then I saw the news report and my nightmare came true. A blue Chevy was in a head on collision with a semi. The car was now nothing but a twisted pile of wreckage. Her bloody lifeless body being loaded into the ambulance. It was just heart wrenching to watch.  
  
I remember the hospital, the horrid green walls. The screams of people in agony and pain. All that, and she was so silent. She was still breathing, it was a miracle she was still alive. Her blonde hair once so bright, now dull and blood caked. Her face scared for life, the side of her head, looked as if it was almost dented. It was bad for them, worse for me. That thing that moved under the car that morning, was a vital part of the braking system obviously. She couldn't stop. Couldn't stop……  
  
It was all so vivid that morning. She was playing in the sprinklers with her children while I idly watched. It was one of those hot Texas mornings, and being cold blooded, I just didn't like it that much.  
  
Her laughter was so vivid. So childlike she was as she danced in the raining water. The way she moved so gracefully, the way her blond hair looked, highlighted by the sun's rays as it reflected off her wet hair. Her wet dress clinging to her. It brought a smile to my face.  
  
Now, look at her. I condemned her to this bed. It was all my fault. My fault she was no longer happy. Now she was this zombie with all these tubes and machines in her. It was horrible. Horrible……….  
  
The doctor said that she wouldn't last the night. I remember mom's final talk with her. Nack and Nic saying their final goodbyes. Then the heart monitor drifting into a deafening beep. She was gone. That night, I sat and drifted into insanity. The beep of her still heart, making mine break.  
  
Then came the time of the funeral. I remember sitting in mom's car. Her expression so blank, silent. It said It all. I remember the tiny purple flags waving on the antennas of the cars. Family and friends, all hurt, because of me.  
  
But what really made me insane, was at the burial. The old iron gate creaked as they entered the Huston, Texas cemetery, and everyone had a Tulip. Mary's favorite flower. I had one too, my apology meant something. Nic looked like she was handling it well. She was the only one not crying. Nack on the other hand, was devastated, and hung on his Aunt Velma's leg, tears streaming down his cheeks, matting the fur. It was so easy how I caused so much pain to one being. But to undo it, that would be a true task to accomplish.  
  
There's that laughter again. Why won't it leave me alone? I PAY EVERY DAY I LIVE! LEAVE ME ALONE DAMNIT!  
  
Then came the part that broke and made me. When the casket began to lower, Nack leapt to it. He was screaming. I remember it so clearly.  
  
"NO! DON'T PUT MOMMY IN THE GROUND! SHE'S NOT DEAD! I LOVE YOU! I…. love….you."  
  
He was restrained, and ran off into the woods, crying. Now my line was crossed. I could only take so much pain before I snapped. How did you think I felt?  
  
Everyone split up to look for Nack in the woods. I was alone, and I found him, high up in a tree. He wiped his eyes, and sniffed heavily. His chest heaving, eyes blood shot, cheek fur tear stained and wet. I was worse off than he was.  
  
I managed to coax him down and we shared a warm embrace. He was comforted.  
  
"I'm sorry." I whispered in his ear. He thought I was only saying it to be sympathetic. But in reality, there was so much more than that. So much I wanted to tell him.  
  
But I didn't want to cause him anymore pain. I done enough already. He was finally reunited with his aunt and sister, and went home. With Mary gone, mom had no one else to talk to. We moved to Manhattan. I would meet Nack there again in high school and collage. I would help him get by. I heard that Aunt Velma took them in because Dawson never came back. He needed all the help he could get.  
  
After my project failures, more people died. I had flashbacks of what happened to kill Mary. Then Sonic, my second friend I ever had, destroyed what little bit I had left of my sanity. I never told Nack the truth about that day. And now I know why. He would do what Sonic did to me. And I would lose both friends.  
  
First Nack's mother, then Sonic's neighborhood friends. Too many people have died because of me. "If I failed at saving lives, maybe I could succeed in taking them." This became my famous quote. I joined Robotnik thanks to Dawson, and the rest is history.  
  
I hope you had fun learning about me. It's not a happy story, but the truth hurts sometimes. Maybe then Nack and Nic would believe me that it was an accident. But now, after what I've done because of it, they wouldn't, they couldn't….. No one could. And they have a right not to. I'm too far gone to be saved. An apology wouldn't save me now. And everytime I hear Mary's laughter, I drift evermore away into this dismal abyss of my life. Once so happy, now so gloomy.  
  
Rex curled up in a ball on the floor, the echo of Mary's laughter driving him ever more insane. 


	18. Magic vs. Technology (this could get ugl...

Authors Note: Mary died in 1983, not 1989 like Chapter 17 stated. Read the timeline in Chapter 6 to understand it all! Now on to the rest of the story!  
  
Rex wandered around the museum. He mingled with all the rich snobs and art critics that were there. He'd smile and pretend to understand what "Nuvo" and "Decco" and all those art terms meant. He didn't really care. He just wanted the emerald. The only piece left in Phase-1. Rex looked good in a tux. He changed out of his traditional orange jersey and hard hat to look less obvious. His boots replaced with slick black leather shoes. He looked like a rich high roller, not a psychotic maniac that would kill you as soon as he got the chance. He'd just as soon kill everyone there and take the emerald now. But he wanted to see how it played out first.  
  
Rex would glance over his shoulder occasionally to see Minion walking around, watching him out of the corner of his eye. A two tailed fox was understandable, a minor birth defect. But a blue fox was out of the question. Nothing real could create that kind of pigment. All of the genetic tampering Rex did to himself with the nanobots and all, he should know first hand at what can and can't be done by scientific standards.  
  
Another art critic snuck up on Rex when he wasn't looking. All of the sudden his ear was filled with a bunch of jibber jabber about the nearby painting. This startled Rex and he almost blew his cover. He relaxed his metal tail and politely excused himself to the restroom. Rex examined all of the doors that were obscure from sight. One of these had to have the emerald in it. After a few more minuets of looking, he saw a slight green glow from the keyhole of one of the doors. He pressed his ear to it and heard voices.  
  
"At last Minion! I have what I desired for so long! Now I can destroy my accursed nephew once and for all!"  
  
Rex kicked in the door and stormed in. Before him was a black and white weasel with long black hair and black lipstick. She had on a bright red dress that came to her ankles, and black high-healed shoes. Her fang over her bottom lip shone in the light like a mirror. Her golden hoop ear rings adorned her ears. Her red, elbow length gloves topped off her look. She looked dressed for the party too. Minion stood by and eyed Rex, a look of attack on his face. He was created to protect her after all.  
  
"Who the hell are you?!" Rex asked in a snarl. No one hogs his glory and lives to tell about it.  
  
"I am Lucretia! Sorceress extraordinaire! And this emerald will destroy my nephew Nack and all of his friends."  
  
Rex stood in disbelief. He raised his hands and began to speak.  
  
"Hold up. Now, I want to destroy Nack as much as the next guy, but I have big plans for that emerald, and you can't stop me."  
  
"And just who are you to say otherwise?" Lucretia said in kind of a playful voice, with a hint of lust. Her charm was better than her magic.  
  
Rex smiled and bowed, introducing himself like royalty.  
  
"I am Armadillo Rex! All American psycho, and downright insane!"  
  
"Hrumph! Don't look a thing like him!" Lucretia insulted, knowing that he was.  
  
Rex ran off to change into his trademark attire. He returned with his orange jersey, hard hat, and orange boots.  
  
"TAH-DAH!" he sang as he held out his arms to show off.  
  
He looked around and saw that they were gone. He found a note tacked onto the wall with a dagger.  
  
"You gullible fool! I know who you are, and I know how to pull one over on you! You see, you may be more powerful, but I am smarter!"  
  
Rex ripped the note off the wall and wadded it up.  
  
"She obviously doesn't know me that well! No one screws me and gets away with it! That bitch will PAY!" Rex yelled as he threw the balled up note down on the floor and stomped on it.  
  
Elsewhere, in the motel, Nack was catching some shuteye, and Nic was watching the television. The phone rang and Nack grunted and rolled over.  
  
Nic got up out of the chair, stepping over her boots and the misplaced pizza boxes that Nack didn't pick up.  
  
Nic answered the phone and was glad to hear the voice on the other end.  
  
"Hey! Andre! How's it going with the business?"  
  
"Well, it's going fine, but I got an interesting customer today. Armadillo Rex!"  
  
Nic gasped and asked if he was all right. She nodded and breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"He said something about making a showing. Some jewel or something." Andre said as Nic rubbed the back of her neck. She looked around and saw today's newspaper on the stand next to where Nack was sleeping. She saw the headline of the showing of the Emerald that Sonic saved from someone. Of course! What better laser condenser, than the most indestructible jewel on earth! Nic talked a bit longer then hung up.  
  
Nack awoke to clattering around. He sat up in bed, only to get his clothes thrown at him.  
  
"What's up Nic? You're never in this big a hurry." Nack said. He saw Nic putting her boots on and grabbing her new gun they got from Nack's Nook on the Floating Island.  
  
"Rex is at the museum! He's gonna try to use the emerald there as a lens for his laser!" Nic said. She was in an even bigger hurry as she holstered her gun and grabbed her hat off the back of the chair.  
  
"Oh, man! We got to stop him! I just hope we're not to late!" Nack said, getting dressed in a flurry.  
  
But they were already too late. Rex was as well. "Well it's for the better I suppose. Might as well be an evil sorceress who wants to destroy the remainder of her family, than a raving loony bin who wants to destroy the planet. But it's the principle of the thing!" Rex said as he kicked his desk. He was back in his office now and trying to plot someway to get back the emerald that was his to begin with.  
  
Rex smiled, then got an idea.  
  
"OKAY LUCY! I'M CALLING YOU OUT!" he shouted at the ceiling.  
  
A swirl of mist appeared and an angry Lucretia appeared. She had on her gypsy blouse and her oddly cut skirt over her fishnet stockings. The black lipstick, high heels, and ear rings remained.  
  
"DON'T……EVER…….CALL……..ME………..LUCY!" and a bolt of energy hit Rex dead on. She smiled at her accomplishment, and figured she would try that on Nack later. Then she remembered that Rex can heal his wounds. She turned back around to see Rex standing and the hole she blew into his torso heal itself. Rex changed into another jersey, and tossed the one with the hole in it away.  
  
"There are three things that separate technology from magic." Rex said as he held up three fingers on his right hand.  
  
"Number one," he said as he raised his forefinger. "technology has accomplished more in life than magic has. It has revolutionized medical technology and many other professions. Who would go see a magician if they needed a heart transplant?"  
  
Lucretia glared daggers at Rex as he continued his speech. She didn't like it when someone dissed magic.  
  
"Number two," Rex continued as he now held up his middle finger next to the previous one. "since technology is used more than magic, everyone must know how to use technology in order to continue living their daily life. Just like magic, some technology has it's secrets as well. However, no one cares how it works because they can show their friends without someone ruining the secret on how it works."  
  
Lucretia was getting even madder now. Her eye was twitching and she bit her lip tight with her fang, to avoid saying something obscene.  
  
"And finally, we come to number three," Rex said holding up his third finger. He put his hard hat back on and a smile crossed his face. He said the final thing that made Lucretia snap.  
  
"everyone believes in technology."  
  
Lucretia lunged at Rex and a fistfight ensued. It ended with Rex holding Lucretia up in the air in his right hand by her throat. "Look, all I want is the emerald that you stole from me." Rex said in a gentleman like manner.  
  
Nack and Nic were at the museum. They examined the room.  
  
"This isn't Rex's style. Everyone is still alive." Nack commented. Nic elbowed him in the side and he let out a yelp. She really wasn't in the mood for his jokes right now.  
  
"Look at this Nic. This is Lucretia's dagger. She took the emerald, not Rex. So Rex will be after her. Maybe they'll kill each other and I won't have to worry about either one of them again!" Nack said in an almost insane tone. Nic slapped the back of his head.  
  
"I know you hate them, but if one wins the emerald will still be used for evil!"  
  
Nack hung his head. She was right. Rex or Lucretia, he still wouldn't get any peace. 


	19. Things Start Getting Worse From Here

"You know? I really hate being screwed over. So may I have MY emerald back, please?" Rex asked, his robotic hand growing tighter around Lucetia's throat.  
  
Lucetia remembered a spell for teleportation and cast it. She vanished and left a bedazzled Rex behind.  
  
"What the fu….?" His sentence was cut off as someone walked into the room. It was an employee of one of Rexco's divisions. Biocorp was the manufacture of all the nasty chemicals that Rex loves to use. Their motto is "If it glows in the dark or kills you, we got it!"  
  
"Uh..sir. We finished the schematic replacements you requested. And, may I say, this design is better than the one that was stolen from you." he said nervously , rubbing the back of his neck.  
  
This employee was an interesting character. He was a black and white weasel with a long fang. Maybe he is related in some way? Rex never noticed until now. He just saw a bunch of humans and anthromorphs in white jumpsuits. Only until recently, did he notice that this one had some familiar characteristics that were not a coincidence.  
  
"Of course. Tell me, do you have any remaining family?" Rex asked in a cool tone, like he wasn't suspecting anything.  
  
"Well, only my sister who ran off along time ago. I don't know where she went to, or even if she is still alive." The weasel replied nervously, holding his white hardhat closely in front of him.  
  
"I see, and was she black furred like you, and have a fang like yours?" Rex asked. This time, his voice was a bit more evil sounding and his tail was poised for a sneak attack. Waiting for the command.  
  
"Well yeah. Why the sudden care about my family? You don't treat us any different any other time." The weasel said, sliding the brim of his hat around in his hands.  
  
The last thing the weasel saw was a sharp metal tail point, come straight for his skull.  
  
"Can never be too careful, not while this is going on." Rex said to himself. He threw the body into a bin outside, and went on to do business. Either paranoia was beginning to set in, or he made the right move. He didn't care, just as long there are no more people on his case.  
  
Rex walked into a futuristic lab, where Biocorp workers toiled over some new gas bombs that can be used in battle. An Asian-American man walked up to Rex. He was intimidated because Rex was 6'6" and he was only 5'3". Rex was taller than everybody there. Only Linda, Mega Sonic, E-9000, and Dark Sonic were the same height as Rex. But they were in the upper crust crowd of Rexco. Along with the rest of the Metallixes, and anyone else that proved themselves worthy to the corporation. So it didn't bother them. They didn't fear Rex, because they were all buddies. Not strangers that were disposable and expendable.  
  
"Well, we redrew the plans to house the emerald in the laser like you requested. But, if the Flying Battery's power core is the laser, and the emerald is the lens, then…."  
  
"Then what?" Rex asked, slightly annoyed by the fact that he was either going to get bad news or a dumb question. He hated both, so it didn't matter.  
  
"then…what's the power source going to be?"  
  
Rex closed his eyes. He hung his head and shook it slowly. A smile on his face.  
  
"Dear boy," Rex said as he put his arm around the man's shoulders. He pulled him closer. "you work for a company that manufactures hazardous chemicals, capable of destroying an entire populous. Surely you could create a power source that would keep something this massive afloat." Rex said waiving his right arm around to show the lab to the incompetent employee. Obviously he couldn't see it. Asking a question like that.  
  
The man felt a sharp pain in his side. He tried to keep from hollering as Rex leaned in closer to whisper into the man's ear.  
  
"So I suggest you get back to work, or you're not going to like option 2."  
  
The pain increased and then subsided. The man nodded slowly, then went back to work like nothing was wrong.  
  
  
  
Nack and Nic went to Andre's auto shop. They barely got to the door, when out of nowhere dropped Rocky McCallon. Nack's bad boy cousin was always protective of his fellow members.  
  
"I can't let you through. Andre's not doing to good." Rocky said as he held up his mace, ready to attack if anyone ignored his warning.  
  
"What happened?" Nack asked, thinking that it was just Rocky wanting him to go away. He crossed his arms waiting for an explanation.  
  
"Well, from what Andre told me…."  
  
FLASHBACK TO A COUPLE HOURS AFTER THE PHONE CALL AND BEFORE REX FOUGHT LUCRETIA:  
  
Rex ringed the bell rapidly. Then banged it into the desk, causing it to crack.  
  
"We know the bell works. What do you need…" Andre saw Rex at the counter, tail waving like a cobra ready to strike. "It's in the back, ready to go." He said pointing his thumb to the back garage. Rex could see his hand shaking.  
  
Rex examined the car thoroughly. Each look followed by an "Uh-Huh" or a "Nice Job" muttered.  
  
Rex got in and slammed the door. He started the engine then stopped. He stormed out of the car and grabbed Andre up by the throat. His robotic arm lifting him into the air.  
  
"There were 15 pennies in the tray! Now there's only twelve! I'll kill you!" his grip grew tighter. He flung Andre into the wall and got back in his car. He noticed that the missing three pennies were on the dash. He laughed then drove off.  
  
TO NOW:  
  
"You mean that he almost killed Andre over three cents?" Nic asked in disbelief. She couldn't comprehend such insanity.  
  
Nack shook his head slowly. He knew Rex was nuts, but this was the last straw. Rex had to be stopped. But how?  
  
Rocky, being the bad boy that he was, cringed at Rex's name. He spoke up in the silence.  
  
"I am gonna kill that PUNK!" he yelled raising his bazooka up in the air. "No one hurts Andre and lives!"  
  
"Nice speech Roc. But were dealing with someone whose immortal, invincible, and indestructible. Whipped cream is only gonna make him hungry." Nack commented. 


	20. Things Just Got Worse!

Nack received a mysterious package in the mail. Inside was some odd things. A couple of cards and a cupcake.  
  
"Probably a thank you gift from the Salt lake Security team. I did a great job, should do it again in the summer Olympics."  
  
Nack open the cards and read the messages. One said "Happy St. Patrick's Day! Remind me to pinch you!" The other read, "Happy belated anniversary!"  
  
"What anniversary?" Nack puzzled over the message. Then he noticed a note inside.  
  
"Eight days ago, it was the three month anniversary that you started to come after me again. I'm surprised the police haven't caught up with you after your little jail break, but hey, good help is hard to find."  
  
Nack looked at the calendar. March 16th 2002. Eight days ago would be the three month anniversary.  
  
"God has it been that long?" Nack asked himself. He looked at the cupcake with a bite taken out of it. It said in frosting…..  
  
"LUV REX!"  
  
Nack threw the cupcake down on the floor. He spun on his heel and walked off, a look of anger in his eyes. Rex was taunting him, but why?  
  
Rex thought out another plan. He'd let Lucretia have her emerald. Nack and Nic would destroy her and restore the emerald to its rightful place. Then he would simply steal it again! What fun it would be!  
  
He pondered over weather or not Nack got his package. An employee walked up. A rat in a Biocorp suit.  
  
"You don't have any green! PINCH!"  
  
The rat fell dead on the floor.  
  
"Got to stop hitting that nerve! Ah, well!"  
  
Elsewhere, something was brewing. The Brotherhood Of Metallix were wandering around the basement of Rexco.  
  
"Nack the Weasel has resurfaced. We should return him to his position!" Mecha stated.  
  
"NO! He was a traitor to us and to Rex! He should DIE!" Mecha Knuckles said slamming his knifelike claws into a nearby table.  
  
"Maybe we could talk him back into our group. After all, he betrayed his sibling and the Chaotix to join us!" Mega Sonic stated raising a fist.  
  
"He was only pretending to help us, to destroy us! Then he would go back and collect his reward!" Silver Sonic 2 said as he sat in a chair.  
  
Tails Doll only shook it's head in disagreement. He summoned Robo Sonic over and put his hand to his mouth and whispered something into Robo's ear. It was programming code that no living being would understand. That is why Tails Doll never talked much.  
  
"Tails Doll says that it doesn't matter who he betrayed to get to us. What matters, is he betrayed us as well!" Robo translated.  
  
All the others nodded in agreement.  
  
"Mecha, you've got eight other bodies. Couldn't you destroy the traitor to our cause?" Mega saked looking over at Mecha Sonic.  
  
"Sure as sure can be! I will obliterate him, AND his sister!"  
  
Nack, totally unaware that THREE psychos were now out for his blood, went to the park. He needed time to think. He knew of the ever looming threat of Lucretia, and the ever present danger of Rex. But he had no idea that an uprising was being planned by an evil group from his past. A group, whose membership cost him his friendship with Knuckles and the Chaotix. A group that cost him his home on the Floating Island. Nack hoped to set things right with Knuckles some day. He sighed and watched the clouds roll by. Things got worse already, and about to go downhill from there. 


	21. Mecha Sonic: Evil Has Many Faces, But On...

Rex glanced at the wall of security monitors before him. The blue glare was the only light in the room as Rex liked the dark. He saw the workers franticly scramble and assemble parts galore into the project. Now named Death Wing, it looked even better than Rex had hoped. But it was still going to be a while before it actually got into it's testing stage.  
  
Then he noticed the Metallix units conversing in the basement of this very building. He turned up the volume and listened.  
  
"We will destroy the traitor to our cause! Mecha Sonic is already en route to destroy the one they call Nack!" Silver Sonic 2 said triumphantly, his green fly like eyes glowing in an almost wicked glare.  
  
"Rex will be pleased! It's a win-win deal really." Mega Sonic stated. "We destroy Nack for ourselves, and Rex can get his project going!"  
  
"It's perfectly flawless!" Robo Sonic stated.  
  
Tails Doll just shook it's head. He knew it wasn't going to be an easy battle.  
  
Rex smiled at this good fortune. It was already taking long enough to get even the basics of the project down. But, in a way, he wanted to destroy Nack, and Lucretia, and everyone else for that matter. He would just have to wait it out and see.  
  
Nack and Nic were at the hospital. Andre was dong better than they hoped. All he suffered was a broken arm and a few broken ribs. He was lucky his neck wasn't snapped, Rex had a mean grip. He had to stay a day or two to see if everything checked out.  
  
Nack wondered why Rocky didn't show up. He cares about Andre like he was a brother. They talked a bit then left to continue business. No sooner than they stepped outside, they were side swiped by an unknown assailant. All they saw was a black blur with what looked like a rocket.  
  
The figure stopped and revealed itself. It looked in every way like Mecha Sonic, only different. He was black instead of blue, he had red markings, and his shoe style looked like hover skates. The hole in his torso, replaced with a white shield like plate on his chest. It was Mecha Sonic, but looked like Shadow!  
  
"Hello traitor! Long time no see!" Mecha Sonic said, a wicked glare in his red eyes.  
  
"What do you want? I want no part of your insane schemes!" Nack said firmly, crossing his arms.  
  
"Who is this guy, Nack?" Nic whispered in his ear.  
  
"That there, is Mecha Sonic." Nack said, nodding in Mecha's direction.  
  
"I thought he was blue!" Nic said worried. She had no idea what was going on right now.  
  
"You're very perceptive my dear! You know my blue body, but that is just a basic model. It is my old reliable. But thanks to technological upgrades and such, I have eight other bodies to freely switch to at any time!"  
  
"That doesn't change your crazy personality!" Nack said, raising his head slightly to block the sun in his eyes. It was deadly silent for what seemed like an eternity, as the two made a stand off. Nack, arms still crossed, and Mecha, battle poised, stared each other down. Nack's sapphire blue eyes met the demonic red half circles in Mecha's death glare. Nack could see, that even for a machine, he had a deeply seeded hatred for those who are his enemies. Mecha hates Nack more than Sonic. Sure, Sonic destroyed his body on more than one occasion, but Mecha didn't care. He despised traitors to the Brotherhood just as everyone else did, and Nack was the biggest one to them.  
  
"Pitty Nack," Mecha said crossing his own arms across his metallic chest. "you would have made such a good soldier."  
  
"You cost me my friends by drafting me into your insane web of horror! Because of you, Knuckles and the other Chaotix won't even talk to me anymore! I'm practically banned off the island because of you and you're twisted cult!"  
  
"Your family affairs are not my problem!" Mecha said pointing at Nack, eyes almost flaming with that red glow of evil.  
  
"There you are! I gots ta kill ya little brats, or I ain't eatin' tonight!" Dawson called. He ran up to the stand off, gasping for air.  
  
"Dad, why do you want to kill us?" Nic asked, on the brink of tears. She loved daddy, why did he want to kill them?  
  
"First rule of bounty hunting, no matter who you're prey is, never show mercy!"  
  
"Couldn't said it better myself!" Mecha interrupted. He lifted Dawson up into the air.  
  
"I'm doing this for free! You're services are no longer needed!"  
  
"Do I get paid for my performance?" Dawson asked, not seeming a bit at all nervous.  
  
"Oh, I'll give you what you deserve!" Mecha said, his eyes glowing happily. Then, he delivered the final blow to the middle of Dawson's spine. Dawson fell dead to the ground.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Nack said, tears welling up in his eyes. "HOW COULD YOU?! YOU MURDEROUS BASTARD! I"LL KILL YOU!!"  
  
Nic restrained her brother. She was upset and angry too. But attacking someone like Mecha head on was just a death wish.  
  
"Now then, where was I?" Mecha said rubbing under his nose with his left forefinger, just like Sonic. He seemed to smile, even though that was impossible for him to do, as he looked at the lifeless heap before him.  
  
Nack fell to his knees and cried. He never cried so hard since the time that Mom died. Nic just stood there in disbelief.  
  
"I Mecha Sonic, will make you pay for betraying us and you shall either join us, or suffer the same fate as your father!" Mecha yelled in victory. He placed his fists on his hips and laughed as Nack and Nic gathered up Dawsons lifeless corpse.  
  
"First Mama, now Dad. Why? All because of my irresponsibility. If I was home, mom wouldn't have died. If I hadn't messed with Rex, dad wouldn't have died. It's all my fault!" Nack said pounding his forehead with his fists. Another flood of tears streamed down his face.  
  
Nic placed a comforted hand on his shoulder. She could feel him trembling.  
  
"It's not your fault bro. They died for a reason."  
  
"Yeah, my reason! It's my fault they're dead!" Nack refused to believe otherwise.  
  
Mecha just laughed. Things have indeed gotten worse.  
  
Well sports fans. Seems that everything got even worse. As Nack's world comes crashing down around him, let's take a moment of silence for Dawson McCallon. 


	22. The Truth Hurts (but so dose everything ...

Rex fooled around on his computer. Nothing better to do, obviously. He just looked on the net for various garbage. His computer could hack into pretty much any database on the planet. So he did a little snooping.  
  
"Let's see here. Nack and Nic had a foster dad named Dawson? That means that, their real dad is still out there! That their dad didn't give me props with the doc?" Rex couldn't believe what he saw. This changed the playing field dramatically.  
  
"Then, who was their real dad?" Rex asked, typing feverishly on his keyboard. A window came up with a new name. Tecumseh, like the guy in the history books.  
  
"Apparently, their real father was no better than mine. That explains how Mary knew how to comfort mom, she been through the same hell." Rex slammed his metal fist on the desk. He took the small Russ troll off the top of the monitor. He smiled at it and laughed.  
  
"Oh! So that's why they sounded unnatural when they called Dawson 'dad'. Because they knew it wasn't their real dad." Rex rubbed the back of his neck. He smiled and thought out a new plan.  
  
"Maybe if I use their old dad against them, they would be putty in my hands!"  
  
"WHY DID YOU KIL DAD!?" Nack asked, crying more than ever.  
  
Mecha wasn't really paying attention, he was busy with a business call. He turned his back on the suffering siblings and talked in an almost whisper. [Authors Note: keep in mind we can't here the other side of the conversation, so everything in quotes is Mecha.]  
  
"I can't be bothered with calls now Rex. I'm trying to kill these brats for you!"  
  
"Your project will be ready, and they will be dead!"  
  
"Yes sir, but I already killed the bounty hunter."  
  
Mecha flinched as his sensors were flooded with the most profanity that no ears should ever hear. He regained composure.  
  
"Uh-huh. I see. Okay then. Ohhh!" he glanced over his shoulder at the still crying weasels. They saw his eyes and remembered that look when Mom got a bad call from school.  
  
"OH REALLY!" Mecha's voice perked up louder. This news was interesting indeed.  
  
"Okay then. Bye bye!"  
  
Mecha hung up and turned back around.  
  
"According to my boss here, this is indeed your foster dad. Is this not true?"  
  
Nack and Nic nodded solemnly. They knew that it wasn't their real dad, but refused to ever remember their real father. The one who never returned when mom died. But in an ironic twist of fate, Dawson was even worse. He tried to kill them!  
  
"So, I killed your foster parent?" Mecha sounded disappointed. He hoped he sent a clear message, but instead, it blew up in his face. It hurt them, but not on a personal level. Like killing a best friend more than a parent, and that didn't have the same effect.  
  
"Damn." Mecha muttered. He looked down upon the siblings and pointed his right forefinger at them.  
  
"I will be back! And you won't like me when I return!" and with that, the smell of burning rocket fuel was the only trace Mecha had been there.  
  
Rex showed the remaining Brotherhood to a secret room, where some members were kept. These were abandoned projects, but had their uses.  
  
Cyber Sonic and the abandoned Mecha Tails project were released. Mecha Knuckles switched to his newer, more comfortable body (see Sonic Advanced) and Mega Sonic had his Black Body on. It had the same functions as the other, but it was a lot more imposing.  
  
Mecha had his own little room where his other bodies were kept. One was painted like Ashura, and had a powerful laser in the stomach cavity that put the other laser in the original to shame. Next was a black body that had a pulse riffle in it instead of a laser. The gold body could disappear like the Gold Beetles could. Then there was the Elecsonic body, which had a powerful light blast and a super sophisticated speed system. Then the infamous Mach 2 body that had the right handed emerald blaster and the power of an emerald shard in its body plate. Then the Mach 3 body which had bulkier arms and legs, and was a bit taller. Then the Secondary body that was exactly the same as the original, but a bit sleeker, faster, and shinier. The Shadow body was in use, and his original body was in its place.  
  
Mecha had another form of his original body. If he got hold of a power gem, he could become a giant red machine with wicked jaws.  
  
"Why's Mecha so special?" Silver Sonic 2 asked.  
  
:Because he founded the Brotherhood! He is our leader!" Mega Sonic stated firmly.  
  
Nack and Nic were still getting used to the fact that Dawson wasn't their real father. Things were bad enough, but now, it is just plain unbearable. They tossed and turned that night and barely slept.  
  
The next morning, they were greeted by a newcomer to the hotel. A BioCorp employee. Why was he here? What did he want?  
  
Find out soon! [sorry, but I like to keep in suspense!] 


	23. Project Underway. Insanity Levels Are N...

The BioCorp employee looked around like he was waiting for someone to leap out of the shadows and get him. Either he messed up pretty bad, or Rex was just going on a spree again.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" Nack asked holding out his right hand in a friendly handshake gesture. He caught a bead of sweat run down his forehead. Something was defiantly wrong.  
  
"Rex is crazy man! Crazy!" the employee, a white male with short blonde hair, said feverishly.  
  
"I know that, but what happened?"  
  
"I hid out here, things are getting way to out of hand!"  
  
"WHAT THINGS?!" Nack asked in a growl, lifting the employee up by the front of his shirt. He felt a hand on his shoulder and glanced over to see Nic shaking her head. Nack released the man, but kept him close enough to do it again if need be. Nack switched to a more friendlier tone and asked once more.  
  
"What is getting out of hand?"  
  
The employee looked around more feverishly than ever and started sweating even more. He stuttered when he tried to tell of the problems back at the plant.  
  
"R-R-Rex has to-totally los-lost it." He said nervously.  
  
"What do you mean 'lost it'?" Nic asked, trying to sound nicer than her brother.  
  
The employee managed to speak, but it was like he was in a hurry to leave.  
  
"Rex tested out the new propulsion systems today. I tried to tell him to wait until everyone was clear, he shoved me out there with the still working employees. I managed to escape."  
  
"Escape what?" Nic asked placing her hands on his shoulders. The man blushed a bit, but knew it wasn't what he thought. He looked deep into Nic's eyes and saw a reassurance in them. He spoke again.  
  
"He fired the engines and decimated all the employees on the platform. Hundreds were killed. Then he came up to me, patted me on the shoulder, and said 'Nice work!'. I couldn't believe that Rex could be so remorseless. I got out of there before he decides to test more things."  
  
"How Saddam can you get?" Nack snorted, his arms crossed.  
  
Nic gasped in horror. If Rex didn't care for the lives of those strangers, then how would he care about the life of someone he knew? The thought of what he had planned was just to disturbing to imagine. No one wanted to picture a lunatic controlled Armageddon Machine.  
  
Rex played around with the laser controls. He had a "kid in a candy store" kind of smile as he blew up more things, totally ignoring the fact that the melting glass was ruining the laser even more.  
  
"I need that damn emerald! But how do I get it?" Rex thought for a minuet then laughed.  
  
"I'll hit her where she lives! Shouldn't be that hard to find!"  
  
Later Rex was at the front door of a creepy looking castle on a hill. He had to fly far, all the way to Salem, Massachusetts , but it would be worth it.  
  
Rex knocked and the door opened. He walked in and yelled into the darkness.  
  
"LUCY! I'M HOME!"  
  
Lucrieta appeared with an angry look.  
  
"I told you not to call me LUCY!" she yelled. "How did you find me anyway?"  
  
"Eyes and brains. I learned you were born in Salem, therefore, you must still live here. Then I knew you were into witchcraft, so I looked for the most Scooby-Doo looking castle I could find, and well, here you are!"  
  
"This castle dose not look Scooby-Doo!" Lucretia remarked.  
  
"Your right, has more of a Munsters feel."  
  
That tore it, Rex and Lucretia were at it again. Those two.  
  
The nervous BioCorp employee still had that paranoia act going, but was a lot calmer than he was. Surviving something like that had it's emotional scars. Rex had to be stopped, but how was he going to be taken out? He is immortal after all. Nack and Nic wee too busy with the employee to notice a figure lurking around outside. It looked like Mecha Sonic, but was a gleaming gold color, that sparkled in the sunlight. 


	24. Space Filler NO. 1

Rex and Lucretia were still going at it. Rex ran to avoid the flying furniture that Lucretia would summon forth. She would have the occasional flying sharp object buzz around too.  
  
Rex threw up his hard hat, which bounced off a flying knife, and went straight for Lucretia. It sliced her across the cheek and drew blood. She growled as she lunged toward Rex in a fit of blind rage.  
  
"That will leave a scar!" Rex said over his shoulder. He lifted the emerald off the platform, caught his hat, and placed it back on his head. All in a seamless movement. He smiled in his trademark grin and turned to leave.  
  
Lucretia was floating in the air toward Rex. Rex laughed, then spun around, hitting her with his tail.  
  
"That Matrix thing is getting old, copy the new one!" Rex remarked. He snickered but turned to face a huge dragon!  
  
"Behold Rex! What your technology never can do! I summon from the fires of Hell the Doom Dragon!" Lucretia said striking a dramatic pose.  
  
Rex smiled and shot his tail straight to the dragon's head. It was grabbed by the dragon, and Rex was thrown across the room. He got up unfazed, and laughed.  
  
The dragon lifted his head back and let out a breath of fire straight toward Rex. Rex's charred skeleton hit the floor. But it twitched, and a silvery substance crawled over the bones.  
  
"Okay, okay. So Rex killed his own employees? How is that going to help us stop him tho?" Nack asked sitting on the bed. Nic was looking at the file picture of Dawson. According to it, Dawson was their father. But the truth was, Dawson came when they were six years old. Their real dad never came back, just like Dawson didn't. Could he be dead? Nic didn't want him to be dead, but after what he did to mama, he deserved to die.  
  
"I just don't know." Nic said solemnly, placing the picture back in the folder.  
  
"C'mon Nic, if we get rid of Rex, or at least stop his project, we can see dad again."  
  
"I DON'T WANT TO SEE DAD AGAIN!" Nic yelled. She put her hands over her mouth, in shock of what she just said. No control over it, just feelings being released.  
  
"I know he was mean, but maybe he's changed." Nack couldn't believe what he was saying. Dad would never change. He secretly wished that he would never come back either, after the way he treated mama. But he was the only family they had left, next to Aunt Velma. But did he really want to find him again?  
  
Okay enough space fillers. Next up, everything goes even worse than now! How you ask? Keep reading! 


	25. Second Face Of Death

"Behold, what your magic never could do!" Rex retorted as he rose and healed. Lucretia was angry now, Rex just wouldn't quit.  
  
"MINION!" Lucretia yelled. Minion leapt out of the shadows and perched on the balcony above the first floor.  
  
"No wait, this looks more like out of that Casper movie. Or no, no, maybe something from Ghostbusters. The Real ones I mean, not that crappy knockoff with the monkey!" Rex just couldn't help himself. He loved being an ass.  
  
"MINION! DESTROY THIS INFIDEL!" Lucretia commanded, pointing at Rex.  
  
Rex smiled. "Infidel? Infidel? You called me and infidel? That is so old! You've been watching too many horror movies! I suggest Scream, you need an update on your dialogue!"  
  
Minion heard enough. He leapt onto Rex and brought him to the floor. They tussled for a bit and Rex threw the blue fox across the room. Minion rose up into the air and began a transformation. He became something like a cross between a dragon, a demon, and a warrior. He held his bladed staff high, and spoke something in some sort of ancient language, which loosely translated to something that we should be glad we can't understand.  
  
"Oh, that is so cliché! You stole this from The Mummy Returns, didn't you?"  
  
"ENOUGH OF YOUR INCOLENCE!" Minion commanded.  
  
"Oh, God, not you too. Update your dialogue man! You need to use words like 'tight' and 'dope' and 'da bomb' or even at least 'homie'!" Rex said, a smile of playfulness on his face.  
  
"I'M GONNA DROP DA BOMB ON YOUR DOPE HOMIE ASS BECAUSE YOU AIN"T TIGHT!" Minion yelled, striking a battle pose.  
  
"Now you're getting it!" Rex said clapping his hands.  
  
"Enough of this tomfoolery! Don't even say it Rex!"  
  
Rex's ears drooped, he so wanted to bash the word "tomfoolery".  
  
"Minion, destroy him!"  
  
Minion nodded. He leapt and was ready to strike.  
  
"He's after me! I know it! He's after me!" the nervous employee said looking around even more.  
  
"Whose after you?" Nack asked, keeping his hand close to his gun.  
  
"The Gold hedgehog!"  
  
"Gold Hedgehog?" Nack asked, puzzled. The only hedgehog he ever seen was blue. Well, except maybe Super Sonic, but he wasn't evil. So who was stalking this guy?  
  
"He's not human! He speaks in a raspy, metallic voice. He's a machine with free will. He was about to kill me, but got a call and vanished without a trace. Just 'poof'." The man said, gesturing the poof with his hands.  
  
"Poof?" Nic asked. "Didn't Mecha say he had eight other bodies?" she whispered .  
  
"Yeah, he did. Could it be him?" Nack asked, leaning in closer to whisper. He didn't want to frighten the man anymore than he already was.  
  
"Who else?" Nic asked shrugging.  
  
"Okay, he's got a Shadow body, and a golden body that teleports. What other tricks dose he have up his quote 'sleeves'." Nack asked.  
  
"A lot more than you think!" a voice called out from nowhere. Suddenly, Nack was knocked backwards in his chair by a golden flash of light. Then the sofa Nic was on, was slashed in half. It looked it was done by five claws.  
  
Mecha revealed himself once more. It looked exactly like his original body, but it was a sleek golden color.  
  
"I scored this technology off of the G.U.N. issue Gold Beetles." Mecha said, his red eyes glaring from beneath his golden brow.  
  
"That's where it's from." Nack said hitting his palm. "I remember those from Station Square."  
  
"So you know they can teleport?" Mecha asked, cocking his head in a curious manner.  
  
"Yeah." Nack said, unsure as if he should've answered that.  
  
"Then check this!" Mecha held out his arms and started glowing. Soon his body was covered in makeshift armor made from the shells of Gold Beetles. The G.U.N. insignia pasted over with the Rexco symbol. He began teleporting around the room, taking every clear shot he could.  
  
"Things have gotten worse, and are about to get even worse!" Mecha said as he literally mopped the floor with them. He flipped and came to a stop. He held out his arms in front of him, and they transformed into dual laser cannons. He fired golden beams of deadly light at the siblings and the employee.  
  
"Rex has made me personal bounty hunter now! I will gladly refuse pay! I get pleasure enough from watching you suffer!" Mecha said. He had Nack cornered against a wall. Mecha lifted his foot, and brought it down on Nack's stomach, slamming him against the wall. He repeated this a few more times, before a gunshot blasted the side of Mecha's head to pieces. Nack shoved the destroyed body off of him, but noticed that the red light was gone from his eyes. The body vanished one last time. Back to the lab from wince it came. Nack staggered to his feet, gasping for air and occasionally coughing up blood. Nothing to serious though.  
  
In a dark room, deep in the Rexco basement, monitors kick on. The gold body is in repairs in its booth and another body is missing. This time it is the Mach 2 body. The toughest body out of the entire group. It was apparent that Mecha was only beginning his revenge plan. Mecha looked over the monitors before he left. His original body was being modified to perform a new feat. He will combine with his 'brother' Mecha Knuckles, and become Ultra Mecha. It would have the head, arms, and legs of Mecha Knuckles' original body, with the ears, and body of Mecha Sonic. Mecha Sonic's arms and hands, would lie over the top of Mecha Knuckles arms, finishing the combination. It may sound crazy, but whatever it took to take out Nack. 


	26. Channel Surfing

"In our Top Story, Armadillo Rex has released a statement today that shook the entire United States. Could he be the next Osama binLaden? Let's find out.  
  
'Thank you Tina. Today was a horrible day indeed as the recorded message revealed just who dwells in our fair city of Manhattan."  
  
"I Armadillo Rex, will destroy the humanity that caused me so much pain. The world that disrespects me! The world that only pretends to help, then turns it's back as the cameras go off! I will show the hypocrites what true madness is. You created me, now I will bite the hand that feeds me! No backstabbing government or false religion can save you from my wrath. It doesn't matter what race, species, or color you are, you all will be destroyed!"  
  
"It is only a matter of time before Armadillo Rex plans his strike. The military has vowed to take evasive action. President George W. Bush made an announcement today that he will stop at nothing to save our fair country."  
  
"I, your President, will rid the world of this evil-doer. He is now number one, on our list of most wanted criminals. He has been under close surveillance for quite sometime, and it appears that he dose have what he needs to back up his statement."  
  
"Thank you Tom. In other news today, a little kitty was stuck up in a tree! He was rescued and is safe at home!"  
  
Nack turned off the television and rolled over in the bed. He put the pillow over the side of his head, and stared out the window. All the beautiful stars. All the beautiful city lights. All those innocent lives. Soon to be dust if he didn't think of something fast. His face winced in pain as his stomach began to hurt again. Mecha done him up good. Too good. In this state, he wouldn't have a chance to stop either Rex or Lucretia. He tasted blood in his mouth still. His head hurt a bit as well. He rubbed his temples and tried to get some sleep. But after the news report, he just couldn't. As he slept, the world continued.  
  
"We've taken all military percussions necessary to bring this (beep)er down. We will shoot the bastard on site!"  
  
"Thank you general for your time. Back to you Leonard."  
  
"Thank you Lola. In other news…."  
  
"So anyway, this guy Armadillo Rex, threatened to destroy the world for making him insane. I for one personally think he should hit Richard Simmons first! You know he's just so damn annoying!  
  
"You agree with me Kevin?"  
  
"Yeah Jay, I agree totally!"  
  
"Apparently, President Bush said he will rid the world of this 'Evil- Doer'. Next on his list are Saddam, Castro, and Dr. Evil. Dr. Evil!"  
  
"That's cold Jay!"  
  
"Cities are beginning to be overrun with looters, fearing the end of the world. I believe the world is going to end when Enron gets back in business! Right Paul"  
  
"Oh yeah Dave! That would end the world!"  
  
"And now, for the Top Ten, but first, what's this weeks reward Paul?"  
  
"This weeks reward is Three Hundred Damn Dollars!"  
  
"Three Hundred Damn Dollars! There's a reward right there!"  
  
"After the tragedy of September 11th, people are fearing for their lives once again as Armadillo Rex plans to destroy, not only certain cities, but the entire planet in a nuclear firestorm. He claims the world made him insane, and doctors all over debunk this theory."  
  
"I think that Armadillo Rex is just mentally disturbed and is just venting off some steam. We all are angry at something."  
  
"That maybe so, but he seems to blame most of his insanity on Sonic the Hedgehog. It could be that instead of wasting time and resources to find Sonic, he'll just destroy the entire planet to kill one person."  
  
"But Sonic is a hero to millions of people. During Sept. 11th he helped many people. He uses his speed to help. How would he make Rex insane if he is so well respected?"  
  
"Maybe he's jealous of all this respect and prestige that Sonic gets, and lashes out at the entire world to get what he wants. Apparently he gets his attention by fear."  
  
"But a red blooded American hero like Sonic can't possibly be the source of his insanity. Maybe it's deeper than that and Sonic just brings back those memories that make him go insane. Sonic isn't the problem, just the catalyst for something that has been repressed in Rex's psyche for years."  
  
Minion was sent back to where he came. The dragon was sent back to where he came. And Lucretia was tied to a chair with a gag in her mouth.  
  
Rex watched Lucretia's T.V., flipping through all the channels.  
  
"If only they knew!" Rex said out-loud so Lucretia could hear. He held the emerald up to his face, looking at the glow of power he held in his grasp.  
  
"If only they knew." 


	27. Nack P.O.V.

I walked around the corner to the Starbucks. I needed to sink to the bottom of something, but alcohol wasn't it. I learned that long ago. I see a bunch of people running. Shattered store windows and stolen merchandise. All of this end of the world malarkey and such. I was scared too, but doing all of this looting and panicking ain't gonna make it go away. All it is going to do is make Rex laugh harder.  
  
I saw a preacher out on the corner, trying to offer me a bible and praise to God above. Now, I'm not a real religious person. No one in my family ever was really. I believe in angles as I've been saved from certain disaster more than once before. I'm not saying they don't exist, but it ain't gonna help either. It's sickening really. All these soapbox sermons of hellfire and brimstone, talking how the grace of God can make you survive the coming doom upon us all. They're just using this as an excuse to round people up into their following. Not that it matters how many recruits they get, they are gonna die anyways. But all have that glimmer of hope that someone will save the day. Someone will help us, then when it blows over and all is said and done, you're stuck with the church for life. It's true.  
  
I walked into the Starbucks after shoving away a few more bible pushers. I didn't need a book to tell me how to live. Now I'm not dissin' religion, I don't care what religious faith you are, I won't hold it against you. I'm not a racist, just don't get me mixed up with your beliefs. I don't care what you believe in or who you worship, just keep it among others like you. I never was into religion because it doesn't matter what faith you are, you're always wrong to someone else. You can never win because you can't say one thing without offending someone else. All of this, what I call "My God can beat up your God", stuff is just what's wrong with society today. So I stay out of it.  
  
I sat and sipped at my latte. I could still hear the preacher outside, louder than ever. Guess I'm not the only one with my philosophy. Then, suddenly a riot broke out in the streets. People fighting over stuff that wasn't theirs. It was so stupid to watch. That all this arguing and fighting is gonna solve anything. Maybe they want God to feel sorry for them and give them an easy out to survive for another billion or so years.  
  
I just shook my head as I saw streams from teargas grenades keep everyone in check. I swear it was starting to look like Jeremiah, that Showtime show where people survive a huge war and trade food for items. Everyone wore rags and fought over dumb things. Just like that, only real. And no war happened yet. At this rate, everyone will destroy themselves and Rex won't have any fun at all.  
  
I got to stop thinking like that. I know Rex is wanting this. He likes to watch us all suffer. Then look to the sky like we expect Superman to save the day. Well it ain't gonna happen. This ain't no comic book, it's cold hard reality. As apocalyptic as those Terminator movies, only everything is still intact and there are no killer robots.  
  
No, wait, there is. Mecha Sonic is not gonna rest until he has my hide. First Knuckles and the Chaotix think I betray them for the Brotherhood, and now the Brotherhood wants to kill me for betraying them. It's like what I said earlier about religion, your never right no matter which side you're on. There is no good or evil, just a conflict between which group can sucker me in with the most false promises. Now I have no friends and I'm caught in the middle of their conflict as well as two other conflicts I have with those opposing groups. It's basically a three way war with me in the middle of the cannons. Every time they conflict, I come up in the argument. Every time I try to talk with my friends, they ignore and ban me. Every time I try to talk with my friends, the Brotherhood comes for me, which leads back to the first one again. An endless cycle.  
  
I hate cycles. 


	28. Interlude (and Rocky gets hurt!)

(Authors Note: Everything you read in the comics is past events chronicled for present reference. What is happening with my characters is in the here and now, and this continuity sparked a new war on January 1, 2002 and kept going strong today. So don't ask about why it doesn't match with the comic continuity because that all that already happened. This is happening now. Get it?)  
  
Rex paced back and forth. He remembered the good times that he used to have. The way he cussed out Robotnik and got locked away for a while. The way Robo Robotnik looked when the virus destroyed his cyber consciousness. No other body to save him now. The Freedom Fighters made the mistake of going for the body, not the mind.  
  
Rex even upgraded Mecha Sonic's free will. Now he too had the ability to switch bodies at will. But he dose it for battle, not survival. Rex screwed in the emerald and thought of all the horrible things he could do to mankind. Everyone acted like the threat was happing now, but it still had a ways to go. Testing and performance reviews. Not to mention building it. It was just a laser and thrusters. Nothing in between the two to make even the slightest threat. The laser itself was scary enough, but Rex wanted to make everyone fear him, not the laser. So by making something this massive fly, then he proves he's smarter than we hoped he wasn't. As Abd-El Kader once said, "Fear the man who fear not God."  
  
Rex didn't know who that guy was, but he made a good point.  
  
Nack wandered out into the streets. They were empty now, and trash was blowing around in the cool night breeze. Nack finally got back to the motel and saw Nic wasn't back yet. He shrugged, got undressed, crawled into bed, and switched on the television. Leno was on again, a repeat most likely. Nack smiled as he saw the Lay-Z-Boy riding on a pair of skis. For some strange reason, Nack remembered that from somewhere.  
  
Nic was still out and about, having problems of her own as more people began the looting process. Shouldn't they have learned something from Independence Day? No matter how far you run, you can't get away from world destruction. Sure, they beat the aliens in the end. But Nic wondered if the real military could beat the real threat.  
  
"Hey babe! I don't want to die a virgin, and my girl friend dumped me. Can we?"  
  
"No I'm not going to 'Do It' with you! I've got bigger thing to worry about than making you die happy!"  
  
Lucretia had gotten free from her confines and knew that Rex was going to let nothing get in his way to complete this project. She had to get her Emerald back. But it would require more than spells.  
  
Mecha Sonic was finished with the Ultra Mecha project, and couldn't wait to try it out on Nack and Nic.  
  
Nic walked up to the auto shop. She wanted to see if Andre was back yet. He was and they talked a bit. Andre said he had a lot of customers trying to get their repairs done fast, in order to get out of town as quickly as possible. The two continued talking.  
  
Amazing how a greater threat makes the oddest friends.  
  
Rocky McCallon on the other hand was prowling the streets for Rex. He had been doing it since Andre was hurt by Rex. He vowed to stop Rex at all cost, and avenge Andre's injury. No one hurts a gang member but him. It was an established rule he made when he formed the gang. And it was going to stay that way, no matter who this freak Rex was. He held his mace as he saw a shadow in an alley. He knew what to look for, as Rex had a long tail. Rocky crept up to the edge of the alley and stopped face to face with the madman himself. Rocky had no fear, it was his reputation to be fearless so he could set a good impression on the other members. But Rocky felt something in the pit of his stomach as he looked into Rex's ice blue eyes. No remorse at all for what he was about to do.  
  
Rocky didn't even think. He swung his mace in a blind rage and ripped the side of Rex's face off. As Rocky was a bout to swing it back around to grab it, Rex grabbed it. He pulled Rocky closer to make him witness the reconstruction of his face. Rocky gasped as he saw the flesh mend itself. He couldn't believe it. Rex finished and smiled his evil grin.  
  
"Thank you." Rex said. He wrenched the mace from Rocky's hand and took it by the spiked end. The next thing Rocky saw was the handle meeting his skull. Everything blacked out and that was that.  
  
Nic walked down that alley on the way back to the motel. She saw Rocky stung up by the collar of his jacket and his mace shattered into dust. She pulled his lifeless body from the railing of the fire escape, and helped him come to. Rocky got only a minor ego bruise when those trolls beat him down a few months back. But that was only minor, nothing Rocky couldn't handle. But now tough guy Rocky met his match. Rex no doubt. No doubt about it. No one but Rex could hurt Rocky in this manner.  
  
"That guy is not human! What in the world is he?" Rocky growled, refusing help getting up. He tried to hide it, but he was afraid too. They all were.  
  
"We told you that Rex is invincible, immortal, and indestructible. You can't kill him or harm him in any way. He's god-like in every way." Nic said, helping Rock stay balanced. Rocky arrogantly shoved her away and picked up is mace handle. He growled and broke the handle in half in his hands. Now Rex was really going to pay! 


	29. Nothing Is As Planned

Rex snickered as he screwed in the emerald. He wandered around a bit, watching everyone franticly try to complete the project. After beating the crap out of Rocky, he felt a sense of beating up other people. However, decided to just wander and watch. He had to get this project finished. Everyone acted as if the threat was here and now, when in reality it was months away. All he had was a laser and some rockets. Anything in between those parts was a gray area until otherwise notified. Rex rolled out the blue prints and gave them the once over. He nodded, threw them back to the gentleman nearby, and left. He needed some air. Rex waned a smoke, but it would not solve anything. He had a deadline to meet. Everyone expected the end of the world to come now, but when everyone realizes it was never going to happen yet, they would not panic when threatened again.  
  
Rex climbed into his Viper and slammed the door behind him. All he could think about, was who released the tape in the first place? It was meant to be released when the project was FINISHED. As he specified.  
  
He sat in his beloved car and turned the wipers on to wipe away the newly falling rain. Soon it picked up and thunder brewed. Rex just lies back and let Linkin Park play. It was the only thing to say what he was trying to explain all along. The source of his insanity. So many factors, yet one bad outcome.  
  
Nack shoved his hands in the pockets of his jacket and made a desperate attempt to keep dry. He hated to get wet, but really had no choice. He waited around on the bus stop for someone. One of Fat Sam's associates, of which he had everywhere, was to meet him. Fat Sam seemed to know everything about Lucretia, and Nack thought that if he told him where Lucretia was, he would increase his chances of finding Rex. They were in a scuffle after all.  
  
A black limo pulled up and a hand signaled Nack to get inside with them. Nack shrugged and climbed in, he wanted to get out of the rain anyways.  
  
Lo and behold, it was Fat Sam himself! How did he get around anyways?  
  
"I here that Lucretia is after MY emerald again." Fat Sam said with his smile in place.  
  
"Yeah, Rex is after it too." Nack said, as he looked out the window at the passing scenery.  
  
"Rex, you say? As in, Armadillo Rex?" Fat Sam asked, sounding worried.  
  
"Yeah, why do you ask?"  
  
"Rex has been trying to get into my gang. He obliviously wanted to use me to get to Lucretia. On the other hand, maybe backstab me. Either way, he wanted the emerald bad, and always seemed overzealous to help out when I suggested a strike."  
  
"So, did he make the cut?" Nack asked with a smile, that fang of his made Fat Sam think of Lucretia every time.  
  
"Of course not! He wasn't grade material! Of course, with what he's got going on now, I seemed to have understated him." Fat Sam said, sounding confident that he would remain on top, even with all of Rex's business.  
  
Nack bit his bottom lip, hoping for the magic words.  
  
"I want to hire you to get my emerald from either of those two psychos." Fat Sam said, slurping the pasta in his lap.  
  
Nack couldn't believe it! All he had to do was take Rex down, keep Lucretia in check, and get the emerald from whoever had it. Then he would be paid by Sonic for getting Rex, Fat Sam for getting the emerald, and the cops for getting Rex and saving the emerald! Three payments for three items from three different people. All in different amounts!  
  
Nack did the math in his head. A million dollars from the cops, plus whatever he would get from Sonic and from Fat Sam. Then Nack could be his old self and sell Sonic out to Rex for even more money. Just let Sonic and Rex fight it out in the prison cell forever. Four payments, plus the regard of being a worldwide hero from stopping Rex from destroying the planet! Damn life just got sweet!  
  
However, it would not happen that way. Nack knew Rex had to be alive. Of course, he had to be, he can't die! How was Nack going to compete with that?  
  
Then Sonic could just be pulling Nack's chain. Get him off his back, hoping Rex would take care of him.  
  
The cops probably would not pay him because of his past conviction, and the audacity of escaping from jail.  
  
To top it all off, anyone would be a hero for stopping Rex and saving the world. In addition, there wasn't any money to be made there anyways.  
  
As for selling Sonic out to Rex, it may work, but then he wouldn't get anything from Rex anyways because of the whole bounty idea.  
  
Damn! Nack cursed his luck. All he was going to get was more jewels from Fat Sam and that was that! He could sell the emerald for a pretty penny, but then he wouldn't get payment from Fat Sam.  
  
Everything was broken now. Nack was still going to stop Rex, he had to. He had to endear himself to the police. In addition, he had to stop Lucretia as always. Save the world.  
  
No money at all. What a bummer man. Nack began to question if he should even care about the world anymore. If he wasn't going to get anything, why try?  
  
Then he realized that he was the only one trying to do anything about it. Sonic was afraid to do it, Fat Sam was afraid to do it. Lucretia certainly could not stop Rex. He and Nic were the only ones that actually cared. So what if there wasn't any money, he had the strong sense of pride for being the only people to stand in Rex's way to destruction. The only ones who cared at all. No one else was going to do it, as evident by the panic yesterday.  
  
"Sorry, Sam. But I'll have to decline." Nack smiled. He did the right thing and felt warm inside.  
  
Fat Sam eyed him.  
  
"What's wrong with you boy? You never turn down a bounty."  
  
"I have bounty enough, in my heart!" Nack said pointing to his chest.  
  
Fat Sam shook his head.  
  
"I expected better from you. All this 'end of the world' nonsense has gotten to you to."  
  
And with that, Nack was back outside and the limo was gone.  
  
"Ah, what do you know." Nack mumbled pulling his hat down to keep the rain out of his face.  
  
Rex rested his chin on the steering wheel. The radio played and kept the silence from becoming maddening.  
  
"I fashioned a crude shelter as there is no trace of civilization…….." the commercial sad. Rex switched the station.  
  
"Here's Adema with 'The Way You Like It'!"  
  
"Get inside you  
  
"The way you like it"  
  
Rex smiled as the song played, another form of his insanity.  
  
[AN. Listen to the songs I list! Listen to them, keeping Rex's personality in mind and you will actually feel the madness he has to live in! Think of these songs as being sung by Rex to get the full effect! It really works! I used most of these to create the personality you see before you now! Try it!] 


	30. Setbacks, Setbacks, and a big Purple Thi...

(A.N.) I'm attempting an interactive Fan Fiction. By listening to the songs mentioned, as the character would listen to them, you can experience and go deeper into that character's personality. By doing this, you'll get a better understanding of them, and feel like them as well. Rex will be defined by all the anger music, hate rock, alternative music, for example the entire Linkin Park [Hybrid Theory] album (Excluding Track 11) is a reflection of how Rex always feels. Some mentioned Rap music has this effect as well.  
  
Enjoy this revolution, and check out the songs to get the full effect of Rex's personality! It's like your him!  
  
Rex rested his chin on the steering wheel. He sighed as the radio played Limp Bizkit's "Boiler". Rex felt the same way about Sonic. He felt the same way about Sonic when he heard "Don't Go Off Wandering Now" by the Limp as well. All these songs made Rex think about how he became crazy, and how he hated anyone who made him that way.  
  
A tap on the passenger window startled him and he looked up to see Mecha Sonic in his normal body waving to him. He unlocked the door, and the wet robot entered. They just sat there in the silence. Then he tried to start a conversation.  
  
"So, how did it go with Fat Sam?" he asked.  
  
Rex smirked and looked toward the robot who was looking at him.  
  
"He said I wasn't grade A material. That I was too anxious about his plans for the emerald, and therefore may pose a threat to his whole operation. Ya'know, the whole traitor thing."  
  
"Well, you haven't exactly proven you can be trusted." Mecha remarked.  
  
Rex shot a dirty glare and was almost tempted to throw him out of the car. But instead, he calmed and laughed it off.  
  
"Got a point there." he said, looking at the fuzzy dice hanging off the mirror.  
  
The two sat in silence for a while longer. Korn came on with their song "Falling Away From Me" and Rex had more memories flood back. Back to when his father would beat him into the ground. Like the song said, it drove him insane.  
  
Nic was sitting in the back of a restaurant, thinking of how they could they stop Rex. Nack got in way over his head when he took this bounty. Here it was three months and still going. Rex was never going to be stopped. And if he could, how do you keep him from doing it all over again? And what about Lucretia? What's to stop her from taking over the position after Rex is ousted? It was harder than they thought. Hard on them all.  
  
Nack still couldn't believe he turned down a bounty. But still, it was a great sense of having a heart. Nack wasn't always the money driven backstabber everyone made him out to be. Fat Sam just couldn't accept the fact that Nack had gone soft.  
  
But Fat Sam also didn't accept something else as well. Fat Sam, still in the limo, picked up his cell phone. He smiled and dialed a number.  
  
"Nack is getting' soft in his days. I better take him out before he interferes with my operation." Fat Sam said to the driver. Fat Sam called up Lucretia! Yes, this answers how he always knew what she was up to. This is how he knew everything about her! Fat Sam made an offer she couldn't refuse.  
  
"You take out Rex, and I'll tell you how to get to Nack so you can do whatever to him. I just want my emerald, sweetie."  
  
Lucretia didn't really have a choice. Fat Sam ratted out her plans before, so why trust him now? Besides, she stood no chance against Rex, unless…..  
  
"Okay. I'll do it. Just don't tattle on me this time. You always sell me out to whatever hunter is available just so I can do all the dirty work and you get the spoils!" what she said was true, but this time she had to trust him. If not, there wouldn't be a world left to conquer.  
  
After Lucretia hung up, she went to her spell book. She had an idea. It was a risky spell that involved transferring the power of the emerald into the body of whoever wields the powerful gem. It was a brilliant idea, but will it work. It would be a clash of the immortals. Both being immune to pain, and never going to die. It would last forever.  
  
But no technology could compete with the power of a Chaos Emerald. If she did this, she would take out Rex, Fat Sam, and Nack and the gang all at once! Then she would finally achieve her dream!  
  
But there was two major problems. One, there was no emerald. Two, she wasn't that good in magic. Sure she could cast spells, but to pull this off, she would need centuries of knowledge. Not just as much experience she had. Creating minions and summoning mythical creatures was kids stuff compared to becoming the ultimate being.  
  
The major factor, was would this act destroy the planet? If it did, then she defeated Rex for nothing. So she also needed the knowledge to control it. But where would she get this knowledge, and in an enough time to stop Rex before that thing gets off the ground? Her spell book told her how to do it, but she needed the knowledge to use it.  
  
It was a risk worth taking. But who would get the emerald? Nack certainly wouldn't do it, so who? Then she realized, she could create one! She summoned a big brute of a man. It looked like a man, but was purple and the size of the Incredible Hulk. He was instructed to take the emerald back from Rex and bring it to her at all costs! It nodded and walked off.  
  
Rex continued to drift, as Mecha left to go hunt for Nack some more. Rex nearly fell asleep when something big landed on the roof.  
  
"Mecha, cut it out. I'm not in the mood for your…SHIT!"  
  
The big behemoth leapt off of the roof and onto Rex's head, pulling him out of the car. Then the thing lifted the car no problem and slammed it down on top of Rex. It nodded in satisfaction and walked off. Grunting.  
  
Later, Rex was fully healed and picked his car up off of himself. He set it back down and made a note to visit Andre again. Rex ran as fast as he could to the lab and was greeted by a horrible sight. A huge hole in the wall leading outside, and the laser broken in half!  
  
"DAMNIT! DAMNIT! DAMNIT F……!"  
  
The rest is unsuitable to repeat, but you get the idea. Then even more profanity echoed as Rex saw the emerald missing.  
  
"Did you just hear something?" Fat Sam asked.  
  
"No sir." The limo driver said blandly. They turned and disappeared around a corner into the newly setting fog. 


	31. Cliffhanger Chapter: (Could Nack Die?)

Lucretia tried to chant the spell to infuse the power of the emerald into her. She knew of the consequences as Dimitri was an example of Emerald power gone wrong.  
  
Try as she might, all she could do was turn the Purple Man into a frog. Then a rat, then a dog. She was angered beyond no point. She had no choice but to call Fat Sam. If it wasn't obvious, Fat Sam did some magic on the side. Only he knew the secret to using the power of the Emerald. Time for another unholy alliance. Fat Sam has been around longer than we all are led to believe. No wonder he resembles a 1930's gangster. He was from the 1930's! I believe he mingled with the likes of Bonnie and Clyde and Al Capone. Just don't ask about Jimmy Hoffa. But he had the knowledge needed to do what Lucretia wished. But would he help her, or steal her idea. They shared a common goal, but would it work?  
  
Nack was back in the motel room thinking about what to do. Several people were out for his blood, and at least three of them are against each other. The battlefield expanded tremulously over the span of four months. So many players, and not enough Nack to go around. Even if they killed each other, one will remain to make him miserable.  
  
Elsewhere, a plan was going down.  
  
"Are you ready 'Brother'?" Mecha Sonic asked.  
  
"Yes I am 'Brother'." Mecha Knuckles replied.  
  
They commenced transformation and combined to Ultra Mecha. It flew off and ready to destroy Nack.  
  
"Hello?" Fat Sam asked, answering his cell phone.  
  
"Uh, yeah, hi. It's me Lucretia. I hate to do this but I need your help."  
  
"With what?" Fat Sam asked intrigued. He scratched his chin.  
  
"If I told you, you would steal my idea, and sell me out." Lucretia protested.  
  
"How do you know?" Fat Sam asked, knowing she was right.  
  
"Trust me, I know." Lucretia said warningly.  
  
Nic was walking along down the street. Rocky ran off somewhere, trying to save what was left of his pride. Poor guy, he really needed to drop the macho act. It could get him in trouble one day. Especially with Rex, that guy was psycho.  
  
Nic put her hands into her pockets. She tried to fight the cold that kept biting at her. But, she failed to notice that the cold breeze was being formed by an object flying overhead. She saw a shadow on the ground and looked up. She saw the crimson and blue robot fly toward the motel.  
  
"Oh crap! Nack's in trouble! I got to get to him, and fast!  
  
"Let's see here, Tecumseh Weasel. Okay, he's living somewhere in Texas. I have to spend more gas money. Chopper fuel is expensive. And my Viper is trashed. Oh well, I got to spend money to make misery." Rex snickered and got into his chopper. He was off to find the weasel.  
  
Nic burst into the door of the motel and saw Jack spread out on the floor. He was alive, but hurt. She didn't wait for the elevator. On pure adrenalin, she bolted up the stairs effortlessly. She kicked in the door and saw Nack was gone! She looked around franticly and found his hat. He never leaves without his hat!  
  
"Oh my God! Oh my God!" Nic bit her lip and ran back down stairs. She bolted outside and hailed a cab. She didn't know where to go, but anywhere is a good start.  
  
Nack came to. His head hurt. Someone must have clocked him a good one. He looked up to see he was only looking down. Down to the street below. In a panic, he fought to get free, but something held his leg tightly. He looked up and saw blood trickle down his immobile leg. He noticed five sharp metal claws embedded in his flesh. It hurt like hell, but Nack had worse. He learned to handle pain.  
  
He forced against gravity and bent up. He looked into the red eyes of terror. It was Ultra Mecha! Nack noticed the parts of Mecha Sonic and Mecha Knuckles. They were two separate personalities, but one voice and one thought.  
  
[WE WILL FINALLY DESTROY YOU NACK! WE HAVE BEEN WAITING UNTIL THE PROJECT WAS COMPLETED! NOW FEAST YOUR EYES UPON ULTRA MECHA, FOR IT WILL BE THE LAST THING YOU WILL EVER SEE MORTAL!]  
  
And with those words, Nack felt the pain in his leg stop, and cool rushing air blowing against his face. The street came closer and closer. This looks like the end! 


	32. Everythings Okay?

Nack closed his eyes tightly and prepared for impact. He landed on something metallic with a loud thunk. He opened his eyes and saw he wasn't dead, but on the hood of a cab. He looked over and saw Nic run out and hug him around his neck. He felt her tears soak his cheek fur. He wanted to cry to. He was happy to be alive, but then he saw the shadow of Ultra Mecha on the rooftop. As Nic continued her sobs of happiness, Nack had a bad feeling that next time, he wouldn't be so lucky.  
  
[DAMN!] Ultra Mecha said in it's two tone voice. It crouched and fired it's rocket thrusters. Off it flew into the darkness, waiting for next time.  
  
The sand of the Texan desert swirled as a huge whirring noise filled the air. The black chopper landed and out jumped a figure with a long metallic tail. The nearby restaurant owner never saw the guy before and greeted the figure happily as he walked into the door.  
  
"Give me a cup of coffee please." The figure said, raising his right finger which also seemed to gleam.  
  
"That's a pretty snazzy chopper you got there. You work for the government or something'?" the man asked in a southern accent.  
  
The figure looked out the window over his shoulder at the chopper.  
  
"Not really, but I do work in top secret stuff." The figure said.  
  
"My name's Tecumseh, what's yours?" The man asked.  
  
"My name is Rex. I was looking for you. You see, I have someone who was wanting to see you again, and…"  
  
"If your talking about those no good kids of mine, I don't want to see them ever again!" Tecumseh said sharply.  
  
"Nor do they want to see you again either. But I am plotting to get rid of them and I was wondering if you could take care of a stray relative of yours. Maybe an, oh say, a sister of your father actually." Rex said sipping the coffee, eying the weasel for a reaction.  
  
"The only sister I know of my father's is, Lucretia." Tecumseh said rubbing his chin.  
  
"That's the one!" Rex said clapping sarcastically. He already knew everything about Tecumseh but wanted to see just how much he kept from conversation.  
  
"I haven't seen her in years! I never knew she was still alive!" Tecumseh said unbelieving.  
  
"Oh, she's alive alright. And younger than ever I might add. Her practice in magic really helped her stay young." Rex said with enthusiasm.  
  
"How do you know all this?" Tecumseh asked befuddled.  
  
"I told you, I work in top secret stuff. I know everything about anyone I choose. And you're the next lucky contestant! So are you going to help me or not?" Rex asked again, in a firmer tone than before.  
  
Tecumseh had to think on this. He didn't know Rex but didn't want to know what he could do. On the other hand, he didn't know his aunt real well either, so would he be doing the right thing helping Rex? We just have to find out soon!  
  
[THE MISSION FAILED. WE HAD TO ABORT BECAUSE HE SURVIVED. NEXT TIME HE WON'T BE SO LUCKY!] Ultra Mecha said reassuringly. The two beings separated.  
  
"We will destroy them all!" Mecha Sonic said raising his fist in the air.  
  
"Yes 'brother' we will destroy all who betray the Brotherhood Of Metallix!" Mecha Knuckles said in an insane tone. Things have just got worse indeed! 


	33. A New Mission For A New Face

"If she's into magic, what chance have I got to stop her from whatever?" Tecumseh asked in an intrigued tone.  
  
Rex laughed and looked down at the counter, running his finger around the rim.  
  
"She'd listen to you, your family. She won't listen to me because I'm insane. Or so she says."  
  
Rex glanced up from his coffee. He waited for a reaction. Tecumseh pondered over this when a beeping broke the silence. Rex excused himself and went outside. He flipped up one of the many armor panels on his right arm to reveal a television screen.  
  
"The mission failed. We will terminate Nack and his sibling next time." Mecha Sonic said sharply, sounding like he was angered and trying to sound convincing at the same time. Rex shook his head.  
  
"You fail this time and it's the scrapyard for you!"  
  
"Your starting to sound like Robotnik everyday!" Mecha commented.  
  
"Maybe, but the way I am, there wouldn't be much left to scrap."  
  
Mecha Sonic looked afraid, even though he couldn't show it. Maybe it was that free will that made him experience fear. But he didn't want to see his own insides to find out.  
  
"Very well. Mecha out."  
  
Rex walked back in and saw Tecumseh emerge from the back room.  
  
"I thought about it, and I agree to help, for a price that is!"  
  
"You weasels are all alike aren't you? No wonder your kids made the choice of bounty hunting!" Rex said smiling at this odd quirk.  
  
"They did that? I never knew I would rub off on them! Maybe they aren't so bad after all!"  
  
"Don't start getting mushy on me now. You used to be a bounty hunter?" Rex was interested indeed.  
  
"Yep, but I got to old for it, so I took up this little diner you see before you. Pretty quiet around here. These tired bones need rest."  
  
Rex tapped his lips with his robotic finger. Too many players on one side of the field. Maybe another bounty hunter would just make things more chaotic.  
  
"But I would always jump at the chance to make another bounty! I mean after all, my diner dose need repairs."  
  
Rex thought that since Mecha was hunting Nack and Nic, Tecumseh could keep Lucretia at bay. This would help ease the weight and balance the project. This would get it done quicker because he would waste less time keeping Nack, Nic, and Lucretia at bay. This would work out indeed.  
  
"Okay! Your hired!" Rex said, shaking the weasels hand. 


	34. Army Of Darkness!

After all that hard work! The flying fortress was up and fully operational! It was a beauty indeed! All that gleaming metal of death and destruction waiting to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting planet!  
  
There it goes up into the air! Minus the laser though. It would take a while to repair, but with Lucretia at bay, the rest was able to be finished.  
  
Rex walked one of the many hallways in the massive fortress. How could something big enough to hold at least 10 aircraft carriers be able to fly? No one cared how it flew, just wanted to stop it from flying. Nack hadn't failed though, as long as the laser was out of commission, Rex couldn't cause any harm. Nack hoped to keep it that way.  
  
Through one of the huge double doors marked with the Rexco insignia, lies a garage style room which held things that no one but the ones on the project team knew about. Amid the various crates of ammunition, missiles, the gas bombs, and various things that go boom, were several jet-like objects. They were standard Tomcat size jets, but looked like a mutated Balkry. (the pterodactyl looking jets from Sky Chase Zone, Sonic 2)  
  
These giant Mega Balkry badniks, were only built for offense, not defense. It had only a couple of machine guns on either side, and a nasty surprise. It's beak opened to unleash 20 orb like objects. These black orbs transformed into Death Wing Issue Buzz Bombers. They were actually Buzzers because they looked better than the original Buzz Bombers. The originals looked to goofy to be feared, those buck toothed looking fangs were what did it. And they weren't very intelligent either.  
  
These Buzzers looked like normal buzzers, but their metal thoraxes were painted Jet Black and Hazard Yellow. The bodies were painted Jet Black and the wings came out in wicked looking points. The antenna on their heads were more rounded and added to the mean look feeling. The standard rocket boosters on the sides were replaced by box like rockets that gave more of a thrust in horse power. These Buzzers were wicked fast, and their free will made them more dangerous. Their weapons ranged in firepower in order to cover all bases.  
  
But the most feared one was the Buzzer Commander. He looked the same as all the other Buzzers in the group, but much bigger in size. His rockets were replaced with V-TOL propellers that made him take off vertically and then rotated to reveal jets on the undersides to make him break the sound barrier. He had advanced free will like the Metallix, but not the body switching ability that some possess. He had what looked like a communicator on the right side of his head in which he commanded the other Buzzers in any dogfights that may occur. His wings were titanium, and therefore could not be broken resulting in a malfunction or a crash landing. The rest of his body was bullet proof and he occasionally shielded himself with his wings. Just to be safe and not get to scuffed up.  
  
But Cmdr. Buzzer had a darker side. Aside from his attitude and his 20 in one multi purpose laser stinger, he could take on a more hornet like form, sprout an extra set of wings, and become a vicious attacker in the air. As long as he's in his element, he's okay, ground fighting wasn't what Buzzers were built for anyways.  
  
But we couldn't leave out the mobile infantry. These Para-Grounders would drop from the sky and immediately commence diggings as soon as they landed. This would result in easier fox hole and trench digging for the Disposable Troopers.  
  
Did I forget to mention the disposable troopers? They are nothing but purple skinned robots with a black visor for eyes and a gas mask like thing for a mouth and chin. They were cheep to build and made good practice material to soften them up for the mobile assault.  
  
The mobile assault was just tanks made to drive themselves. These don't have free will like the Buzzers. They, as well as the Para- Grounders, follow a set command programming. The disposable troops just fired guns and died. Easy as that. It was all so simple to make it wasn't funny. The Buzzers are the better of them all, and well worth the time put into them. Sure, they would be destroyed in battle, but that's where the new technology came in. Since it was to expensive to make them all indestructible like the Commander, they have a cheaper alternative. It's called the Reassemble Chip. Mecha Sonic uses one, so dose the other Metallix. Commander Buzzer had one just in case, but it was only a backup in case some how, he was destroyed. Rex said virtually, not totally.  
  
So now that the fortress was assembled, and the army was gathered, it was time to put all formalities aside, and dispense with the pain! 


	35. Hidden Secrets Revealed!

"This is Commander Buzzer reporting. We have a clear view of everything and there isn't any bogies anywhere to be found."  
  
"Excellent! Return at once!" Rex pressed a button, ending his communication. Rex wore a flight cap complete with goggles, and the fur collared jacket made of leather. He screwed around, making airplane and bombing noises.  
  
Commander Buzzer was just about to re-enter the cargo hold, when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. His robotic vision allowed him to see great distances, and therefore, he saw Nack and Nic running down a sidewalk.  
  
"Where could they be going in such a hurry?" Cmdr. Buzzer though to himself.  
  
Nack and Nic were running as fast as they could. They saw the huge fortress in the air and knew that the time had come. They had to take that thing down before the laser was finished, or the world would be destroyed. They needed an airplane or something, and the only place to get one, is the airport. They busted in the door, gasping for air.  
  
"We need a plane, and fast!" Nic said gasping for breath.  
  
"How much money you got?" the mustached man asked, folding his arms like he didn't want his time wasted by these hooligans.  
  
Nack pulled the man outside and pointed up to the massive object in the sky, eclipsing the sun.  
  
"Good enough." And the man ran away, trying to get out before something bad happened.  
  
Soon Nack and Nic were airborne.  
  
"You know how to fly this thing?" Nic asked, sounding nervous.  
  
"Not really, but you've seen one ya seen em all." Nack done a barrel roll, laughing.  
  
"Now's not the time to screw around! We got to stop Rex!" Nic said slapping the back of Nack's head.  
  
Nack rubbed his head with a sheepish smile on his face.  
  
"So, they want to play do they?" Cmdr. Buzzer said narrowing his eyes at the oncoming siblings.  
  
"Get them my army!" he barked out, and within minuets, the whole sky was filled with flying black orbs. They transformed into the Buzzer Army and formed an attack pattern.  
  
"On my mark. Now!"  
  
The lasers filled the sky, narrowly missing the plane and brazing Nack's beloved hat. Nack glanced up at the burn mark and grew angered.  
  
"Now they're gonna pay!" Nack said. He grabbed the trigger of the machine gun mounted on the front of the plane and began to simultaneously shoot down the oncoming bugs. But every one that was destroyed, it would reassemble.  
  
"How are going to stop them, they're invincible." Nic asked, getting more worried.  
  
"Maybe if we took out the commander, the rest would fall. Like in those stories in history."  
  
"You mean the class you always slept through?" Nic asked narrowing her eyes at him. Nack smiled a big cheesy grin but became serious again as more laser fire rocked the plane.  
  
Nack fired the gun at the commander. The commander shielded himself with his wings then looked up, angered.  
  
"You've ticked off an enemy you cannot beat! Prepare to meet my dark side!"  
  
Commander Buzzer's head thinned out and his antenna became longer. Another set of wings came out of his back and a wicked set of pincers came out of his mouth. His V-TOL engines extended out and his thorax elongated. When he was finished, he looked more like a hornet or wasp, than a bee.  
  
"NOW FEEL MY WRATH!" and the hornet bot charged them at full speed. Nack fumbled with the gun and managed to squeeze out a few shots at the bad bug. Cmdr. Buzzer's head got the brunt of several bullets, destroying his ability to reassemble. He plummeted to the ground and shattered into many pieces.  
  
"That was almost to easy." Nack said as they both looked over the side of the plane. Suddenly an announcement came over the speakers outside.  
  
"I figured he'd screw up somehow. But I have a backup. And this one won't fail me!"  
  
Nack and Nic managed to get to the side of the massive ship when a portion of the side opened up and a shadowed figure emerged. Like lightning, it darted out and ripped off the front of the plane. Nack and Nic made a dive, barely grabbing onto one of the rails. Nic climbed up and helped Nack aboard. They climbed up a nearby ladder as the remains of their plane hit where they stood, taking the platform with it. They looked down at the smoldering side. Nic held her arms and shivered. It was cold on top of this thing. But things were about to heat up.  
  
[I'M BACK! NOW I WILL FINISH YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL!] an all to familiar voice said from behind them. The duo spun on their heels and turned face to face with Ultra Mecha. This time, it was Mecha Sonic's Mach 2 body. Ultra Mecha raised Mecha Sonic's emerald blaster.  
  
[NOW WE WILL FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED!]  
  
"No way!." Nack said and he leapt up into the air, firing a few shots from his gun. But to no avail as Nack was snatched in mid-air and thrown to the ground.  
  
As the fight continued up above, something bad was going on down below. A huge semi, donning the Rexco insignia was speeding down the highway, trying to keep up with the flying fortress. The fortress came in low, and two massive crates were loaded aboard.  
  
Ultra Mecha slammed Nack down again. He grabed Nack by the back of his head and shoved his face over the side. Nack gasped in horror as the laser was being assembled before his eyes. He failed.  
  
[LOOK AT ALL THE LIVES THAT YOU LET DOWN! ALL THE SOULS THAT WILL DIE BECAUSE OF YOUR FAILURE!]  
  
Nack felt oncoming tears, but tried to fight them back to avoid Ultra exploiting his weakness. He did fail. All his fault.  
  
"DON'T LISTEN TO HIM BRO! WE CAN STILL STOP HIM IF WE TRY!" a voice called.  
  
Nack sniffed at the words of his sister. She was right. Nack felt anger well up inside him. Adrenaline giving him strength he never knew he had. Nack forced himself onto his back and placed both feet upon Ultra Mecha's chest.  
  
"Say hello to your friends in hell!" Nack said with his fanged toothed smile. A look of wickedness in his eyes. And with that, Nack used all his weight to throw Ultra Mecha over the side and into the fires of the damaged side. The smell of melting steel was the sign that it was over.  
  
Rex watched the whole thing on his screen.  
  
"You may have beaten Ultra Mecha, but you still can't stop the oncoming fate!" and he pressed a button.  
  
Nack and Nic ran aimlessly through the corridors until they found the loading dock. After taking out a few stray Buzzers, the made their way to the huge crates.  
  
"Oh Nackkkkieeeeeeeee! Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaakkkkieeeeeeeeeee!" a voice taunted from the shadows.  
  
"Rex! We're going to stop this insanity once and for all!" Nack said gritting his teeth.  
  
"Oh, I beg to differ. You see it's to late. Before you die, I have something I'd like to tell you. A secret that I kept ever since we were kids. The secret that made me who I am today." Rex said, faking sympathy.  
  
"And that is?" Nack asked, narrowing his eyes at the evil before him.  
  
"I killed your mother."  
  
Those four words felt like someone ripped Nack's heart out of his chest. He fell to his knees and began to cry.  
  
"YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU! YOU BITCH!" Nack's voice trailed off as he cried.  
  
"This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you. You had enough problems after your dad left. So I kept my mouth shut. And after everything else went wrong, and Sonic destroyed my soul, I became the way I am now." Rex said spinning around and opening his arms to reveal his twisted self.  
  
"Why didn't you just tell us. If it was an accident, we would've understood." Nic said, on the verge of joining Nack.  
  
Rex put his hands behind his back.  
  
"I was afraid that you would do to me like Sonic did. Sonic just blew me off, not giving me a chance to explain. I wanted to tell you when you were old enough to understand. But after Sonic hurt me so much, I saw a reason why I shouldn't tell you and therefore I didn't. Besides I was already insane before all of that. That situation just showed me how much of a monster that I really am. Even if you forgave me now, all the innocent people that died deliberately because of me, would still haunt my mind forever. And since I'm immortal, I will forever wallow in my own grave. But you know what? I ENJOY EVERY MINUET OF IT!"  
  
Nic gasped in horror.  
  
"Was all that a lie?" she asked shocked.  
  
"No it was all true. But I realized something else too. The more people I kill because of my insanity, the better I feel about my own problems. Watching other people suffer a worse fate than mine, shows me that I could be worse off than I am. So in a twisted sort of way, I'm doing them a favor by putting them out of their misery! I can never die, but they can! So all the pain I cause them, if I kill them, they can rest in piece where I cannot!"  
  
"YOU'RE A TWISTED FREAK!" Nack bellowed out.  
  
"Yes, a twisted freak with a mind to use! And now I give you my second opus of making your lives hell!"  
  
Rex pulled out Tecumseh and held a gun to his head. His robotic arm making it impossible for escape.  
  
"I killed your mother, so it's only fitting that I kill you father as well!"  
  
"How did you get dad?" Nic asked trying to hold back her tears.  
  
"Your dad kept Nack's bitch of a great aunt at bay whilst I finished my beloved fortress of doom! Now instead of paying him, I'll put him out of his misery to get away from the fact he helped me destroy the world! See my philosophy IS sound!"  
  
"YOU'RE A MURDER! A FREAK! A BASTARD! A…A…."  
  
"Genius? Yes I am thank you! Thank you very much!" Rex said in an Elvis like voice, jamming the gun further into his prisoners head. 


	36. VICTORY!

"IF ALL THE WORLD"S A STAGE, THEN I'M THE NUMBER ONE PERFORMER!" Rex shouted as he jammed the gun further into Tecumseh's skull, ready to pull the trigger.  
  
"Wait! It's me you want! Not them. I'm the one who hurt you and I'm sorry." A familiar voice called. Rex looked up immediately and Nack and Nic spun around. All three gasped as Sonic the Hedgehog stood before them.  
  
"I herd the whole thing. I never knew you felt that way, and I'm sorry for the pain I caused. I let my judgment get the better of me." Sonic said hanging his head slightly.  
  
"I said it's too late for apologies and I meant it!" Rex said getting angrier.  
  
"I know, but if it makes it any better, and saves all these lives, then I'm gonna do it anyway."  
  
Rex felt something, something he never felt before. He was about to cry. He let his hostage go and ran towards Sonic, hugging him.  
  
"Oh, Sonic! I feel so bad for what I did! But after that day, I just didn't know what to do with myself! I never knew so many people would be hurt because of my anger."  
  
Rex sobbed in Sonic's shoulder as Nack and Nic tended to their father.  
  
"Thanks Sonic, I owe you one!" Nack said with a smile.  
  
"Don't mention it Weasel Boy! I knew you weren't so bad. We got a lot in common, you and I. We should become allies instead of enemies."  
  
Nack smiled.  
  
"Sorry Sonic, but I work alone. We can still be in touch."  
  
The three weasels left as Sonic continued to pat Rex on the shoulder. He noticed that he had stopped crying and was starting to laugh.  
  
"No apology can undo the emotional damage you did to me! Now feel my pain!" and Rex pulled the gun on Sonic. He fired and knocked Sonic down.  
  
"I accept your apology, but I can't let you get in the way of my revenge!"  
  
He ran off after the weasels.  
  
"Maybe we can get out this way." Nic said pointing to an escape jet.  
  
They leapt into the jet and pulled dad in. They were about to start it up when a loud banging startled them.  
  
The side of the hull ripped open, and the smoldering, flaming remains of Ultra Mecha.  
  
[NOW I will DesTroY You OnCE anD For ALL!} he said in a very distorted voice. He held up his blaster and fired a stream of fire at the jet, melting it away.  
  
[YOU Are GoinG TO PAY FoR what You Did tO mE!]  
  
Nic jumped up and swung from the rafter above and slammed Ultra out into the open sky. He tried to fire his rockets, but was to badly damaged. He plummeted to his 'death' and hit the ground way below with an explosion.  
  
"How are we gonna get out now?" Nic asked looking at the remains of the jet.  
  
"Sonic got here somehow, maybe he can give us a ride!" Nack said snapping his fingers.  
  
They ran back to where Sonic was, but found him out cold. Nack saw the door Sonic had cut into the hull and the Tornado outside.  
  
"Hey kid!" Nack called out to Tails. "We need a way out of here, and Sonic's hurt."  
  
Tails brought the plane in closer. Nack and Nic loaded Sonic into Tecumseh's lap. They rode on the wings, just like Sonic dose. The wind felt good as they flew away from that hell.  
  
"YOUR'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" a voice boomed, and Tails narrowly missed being sideswiped by a jet. It was black as midnight and donned the Rexco insignia.  
  
"I WILL DESTROY YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL!" and he gave chase to the bi- plane. Tails pushed the speed limits to the max and got an idea.  
  
"I've got you in my sights now you little brat!" Rex said to himself as he readied the target. He looked up in time to see Tails make a sharp vertical turn and go straight up. Rex was caught off guard and tried to turn, but was going to fast to control. He slammed right into the side of his beloved fortress. A huge fireball erupted as fuel tanks and missiles exploded. It was a horrible sight. But a signal of victory! They had done it. Nack and Nic, took down the most feared villain since Robotnik and saved the world in the process!  
  
"On news tonight, the fortress of destruction has been destroyed. The world is saved once and for all and it's all thanks to Nack and Nic the weasel!"  
  
"Thanks, but we couldn't have done it without Sonic's help!"  
  
Sonic smiled as he patted Nack on the shoulder. Sonic made a new friend, and they both vanquished an evil that should have never been.  
  
"It was all you man, I was just the distraction!" Sonic said winking. Nack smiled. Sonic got enough credit and awards, he let someone else have the chance.  
  
Nic and Nack held the hero's plaque high as the press cheered and applause filled the air. Even Sonic and Tails clapped at their new friends and their achievements. Tails wiped away a tear.  
  
THE END!  
  
Somewhere….out in the middle of the fortress wreckage. A figure was digging. Digging away at the rubble, looking for something.  
  
Lucretia emerged victorious with Rex's hardhat and laughed as she vanished in a cloud of smoke.  
  
"You may have defeated Rex, but you still have me to face, and I will show you what true power really is. Then I will have two trophies, Rex's hat and your head!" her voice echoed off.  
  
In the wreckage, a skeletal hand was visible. All traces of flesh and muscle were burned off in the explosion. Suddenly, a finger moved, and a silvery substance flooded over the stripped bones. A faint, muffled laugh could be herd carried off in the wind…… 


End file.
